m 


JONV-Si 


a:  ^—  -~,    Jv 

°Q       Ti  U 


o 

- 


HAWAIIAN 


BY 


ClEO.  M.    DE  LA 


SAN   FRANCISCO,  CAL. 
H.  S.  CROCKER   COMPANY 


COPYRIGHT 
1898 


Sp« 

<f 


DLL 

037  K 

INTRODUCTION. 


I  realize  that  these  sketches  furnish  no 
information  to  the  earnest  seeker  after  facts 
in  regard  to  Hawaii.  I  desire  to  state  briefly 
the  conditions  which  will  face  the  peaceful 
invader  from  the  Mainland  coming  to  the 
Islands. 

Hawaii  is  not  a  new  country.  American 
capital  has  been  there  for  many  years,  and  the 
various  lines  of  industry  have  been  fully 
developed.  It  is  not  the  place  for  a  man  of 
small  capital  and  large  family.  The  success 
of  the  coffee  industry  is  not  as  yet  assured, 
though  it  is  possible  that  a  young  man  with 
some  capital  and  a  fondness  for  seclusion  and 
a  rural  life  might  succeed  in  it.  There  '. 
undoubtedly  room  for  men  in  Hawaii  who 

(3) 

1839828 


have  money  to  invest.  For  instance,  Hono- 
lulu could  very  we'll  afford  to  have  a  fe\v  first  - 
class  hotels.  Hut  Hawaii  is  by  no  means  a 
Kloiidyke  of  new  possibilities  for  the  Ameri- 
can laboring  man,  mechanic  or  farmer. 
Oakland,  Xovcmber,  18U8. 


CONTENTS. 

* 

PAGE 

Introduction    3 

I.     Our  Trip  to  the  Volcano 7 

II.     Muuiiii  Ken  (poem) 31 

I II.  The  ( rhost  of  the  Heiau 33 

IV.  Haleakala  (sonnet) 52 

V.     The  Legend  of  Haleakala 53 

VI.     The  Southern  Cross  (sonnet) 73 

VII.     A  Saunter  Through  Honolulu 74 

VIII.     Leahi,  Diamond  Head  (sonnet) 85 

IX.     The  Trade  and  the  South  Wind 86 

X.     Sun  Shee 90 

XI.      Manmvell  Sou/a 99 

XII.     The  Royal  Palm  and  the  Alien  Pine 108 

(5) 


OUR  TRIP  TO  THE  VOLCANO. 

* 

"The  channels  between  the  islands  of  Oahu,  Maui, 
Molokai  and  Hawaii  are  said  to  be  the  roughest  wa- 
ters on  the  globe."  — Mary  H.  Krout. 

AY  here  rolls  the  Kinau  and  hears  no 
sound  save  her  own  splashing  and  the  groans 
of  wearied  souls  cabined  and  confined,  and 
likewise  ill.  AVhether  the  good  ship  Kinau 
stood  on  the  top  of  her  masts  while  crossing 
the  Oahu  channel,  I  can  not  assert  positively, 
but  I  am  sure  she  did  while  crossing  the  one 
that  separates  Maui  and  Hawaii.  But  this  is 
anticipating.  As  we  passed  under  the  lee  of 
Molokai  there  came  a  short  time  of  compara- 
tive rest,  which  enabled  us  to  look  out  of  our 
cabin  door,  and  there  rose  before  our  eyes 
the  red  slopes  of  the  island,  with  dust  devils 
caught  up  here  and  there  by  the  wandering 
breeze.  Higher  up  towards  the  crest  of 
Molokai  are  deep  green  gashes  in  the  hills. 

(7) 


8 

Meanwhile  tlie  seas  are  rushing  past  in  the 
gleaming  sunshine,  and  you  would  l»e  willing 
to  give  the  great  ocean,  with  all  its  glory  and 
freedom,  for  one  square  foot  of  that,  ugly, 
solid,  red  earth  to  stand  upon.  Tn  this  mood 
you  propound  toyour  soul  the  question,  "Why 
were  yon  such  a  fool  as  to  leave  the  compara- 
tive1 heaven  of  the  quiet  land  for  this  pound- 
ing purgatory  of  the  seas?"1  Hut  the  ques- 
tion is  unanswered  as  the  ship  heads  into 
the  second  choppy  channel  and  you  come  up 
faint  and  gasping  in  the  blessed  shelter  of 
another  island — Maui.  But  as  an  addendum 
to  this  last  crossing,  1  desire  to  pay  my  tribute 
to  the  cheerful  individual  who  sat  just  outside 
my  cabin  door  on  a  camp  stool  with  his  feet 
braced  against  the  rail  while  the  ship  swayed 
hither  and  thither,  and  related  funny  stories 
to  the  ladies,  who  lay  stretched  out  on  the 
steamer  chairs,  wrapped  up  in  rugs,  and  with 
shawls  almost  hiding  their  pale  faces,  and  that 
far,  far  away  look  in  their  eyes. 

"Here, Steward, "lie  called  in  vibrant  tones, 


9 

to  the  obliging  little  Jap,  '"'  Bring  up  some 
doughnuts  and  mince  pies  for  the  ladies." 
Perhaps  the  ship  will  give  another  extraordi- 
nary lurch,  and  he  will  go  over  into  the  sea, 
cam])  stool  and  all,  and  I  thought  with  deep 
thankfulness  of  the  hungry  sharks  waiting  to 
receive  him. 

While  the  ship  is  speeding  along  under  the 
protecting  shelter  of  the  land,  you  crawl  to 
the  rail,  and  look  feebly  up  at  the  great  moun- 
tains. On  West  Maui  they  rise  in  gothic 
forms,  with  sharp  ridges  buttressing  the 
higher  and  sharper  heights,  and  deep  valleys 
intervening.  Crest  rises  above  crest  and  peak 
over  peak,  but  there  is  no  jumbling  of 
great  mountains  and  of  unwieldy  rock. 
They  are  clean  and  clear  cut  in  every  outline, 
and  over  them  is  thrown  a  rich  mantle  of 
heavy  tropical  green.  Between  East  and 
West  Maui  there  is  a  narrow  ribbon  of  red 
earth,  which  holds  the  two  together.  Across 
it  the  trade  winds  whirl  great  clouds  of  dust, 
which  drift  out  to  sea. 


10 

East  Mani  is  simply  one  mountain,  Ilalea- 
kala,  but  it,  is  sufficient.  Its  spreading  sea 
skirts  are  green  with  the  fields  of  sugar  cane 
and  further  up  the  slope,  there  lies  the  tem- 
perate region  of  Knla,  where  grow  corn,  po- 
tatoes and  wheat.  Upon  the  Southern  side 
are  trees  standing  in  clumps  and  circles  of 
green;  and  what  in  years  long  past  were  un- 
sightly cones  of  volcanic  sand,  are  now  mounds 
covered  with  a  deep,  smooth  verdure.  On  the 
.liana,  or  eastern  slope  of  the  mountain,  are 
great  untamed  tropical  forests.  It  is  a  world 
in  itself — this  old  giant  among  ihe  volcanos 
of  the  earth.  Within  its  grasp,  beyond  that 
far  rolling  height  there  lies  a  land  of  mystery 
and  desolation, with  lofty  cones,  long  stretches 
of  lava  and  volcanic  sands,  and  white,  rolling 
clouds,  and  over  all  a  silence,  such  as  dwells 
on  the  death  mask  of  the  moon. 

The  Kinan  comes  to  its  first  anchorage 
in  .Maalaea  .Bay  at,  the  corner  of  the  narrow 
strip  of  land  to  which  I  have  referred.  The 
ship's  boats  are  lowered  from  the  davits 


11 

into  the  bouncing  waves,  and  quickly  filled 
with  squealing  pigs  and  seasick  Chinamen. 
Then  conies  the  sport.  There  is  a  long  stand- 
ing controversy  between  the  native  crews,  of 
the  starboard  and  larboard  boats  as  to  their 
relative  speed.  Beth  crews  use  the  plain 
Hawaiian  stroke  as  opposed  to  the  Courtney, 
Cook  or  Lehman  methods.  Their  feet  are 
kept  firmly  planted  on  the  bottom  of  the  boat 
and  they  stand  quite  erect  and  bend  slightly 
on  the  forward  reach,  and  then  the  oar  is 
brought  quickly  back  until  it  comes  in  con- 
tact with  the  liead  of  some  passenger.  Then 
the  process  is  repeated.  The  two  crews  had 
put  a  few  Kalakaua  dollars  on  the  result  as 
they  sat  beneath  the  bridge  on  the  forward 
deck,  discussing  the  situation,  while  crossing 
the  channel.  In  the  stern  of  the  starboard 
boat  stands  the  redoubtable  Jim  Crow,  one 
of  the  best  steerers  among  the  Hawaiian  boat- 
men, and  that  is  saying  a  great  deal.  He  has 
on  a  red  flannel  undershirt,  which  answers  the 
purpose  of  personal  distinction  as  well  as  ever 


12 

did  the  white  and  waving  plume  of  Xavarre. 
Tall  and  sinewy  lie  stands,  with  both  hands 
grasping  the  oar  and  his  face  is  as  imperturb- 
able as  an  Indian's  and  indeed  he  has  the  same 
high  cheek  bones,  swarthy  skin  and  straight 
black  hair  of  the  American  savage.  Hence 
his  name.  II is  keen  black  eyes  are  fixed  <>n 
the  advancing  waves  and  he  guides  his  boat 
with  unerring  skill  beneath  the  toppling 
breakers  and  through  the  green  vales  of 
water,  using  the  steering  oar  with  the  same 
instinctive  deftness  and  power  as  a  shark  uses 
his  guiding  fin,  as  he  cuts  through  the  water. 
Xot  a  smile  lights  up  his  face  as  his  boat 
crosses  the  bow  of  the  other  and  bumps  along- 
side1 of  the  wharf — it  is  a  matter  of  course 
with  him,  not  of  congratulation.  These 
Hawaiian  boatmen  are  worthy  of  more  than 
passing  mention,  for  they  are  the  masters  of 
these  southern  seas,  even  as  the  Norseman 
was  once  the  ruler  of  his  wild  northern 
waters.  lie  knows  the  ocean,  he  loves  it, 
and  the  timid  landlubber  can  place  absolute 


confidence  in  his  faithfulness,  skill  and  cour- 
age. AY  hen  the  boats  have  boon  again  swung 
to  their  places  the  Kinau  steams  along 
the  Maui  coast  towards  the  Hawaii  channel. 
It  is  now  drawing  towards  evening,  and  the 
setting  sun  kindles  his  rosy  watch  tires 
on  the  heights  of  Ilaleakala,  Manna 
Kea  and  Manna  Loa.  Then  "  At  one  stride 
comes  the  dark  "  and  the  ship  is  soon  bucket- 
ing through  the  roaring  seas,  while  the  hours 
towards  midnight  stretch  out  to  eternity  and 
as  you  lean  against  your  cabin  door  for  a 
moment  you  hear  the  swish  of  the  waters 
through  the  darkness  and  see  the  stars  reeling 
in  the  sky.  From  a  wretched  doze  you  awake 
to  find  the  ship  lying  in  absolute  quiet  at 
Kawaihae.  The  desolate  coast  of  Hawaii  is 
hidden  by  the  soft  gloom,  through  which  rises 
the  shadowy  bulks  of  Mauna  Loa  and  Hua- 
lalai.  Gladly  you  seek  the  fresh  air  on  deck. 
The  moon,  which  is  but  a  golden  rind  in  the 
low  east,  casts  a  faint  light  on  the  quiet  waters 
of  the  bav  and  towards  the  shore  can  be  heard 


14 

faintly  the  dip  of  the  oars  of  one  of  the  ship's 
boats.  My  friend,  whom  I  shall  call  the 
"humorist,"  orders  some  black  coffee  and 
toast,  while  I  restrict,  myself  l<>  iced  ginger 
ale  and  soda  crackers.  There  is  something 
so  neutral  about  these  crackers  that  you  can 
cat  them  under  the  most  trying  conditions. 
The  humorist  with  rare  good  breeding 
forbears  making  any  reference  to  my  recent 
illness  but  speaks  of  other  matters. 

"  Do  yon  notice  those1  black  walls  rising  on 
the  hill  over  there?"  he  asked,  pointing 
towards  the  shore.  >%  They  enclosed  what  was 
once  the  most  famous  temple  on  these  Islands. 
In  fact  this  place  in  the  old  days  used  to  be  the 
great  sacred  rendezvous  for  the  natives  and 
they  were  accustomed  to  come  here  by  the 
thousands  to  sacrifice  to  the  gods,  and  also  to 
catch  fish,  both  of  equal  importance  in  thoir 
eyes.  Many  varieties  of  fish  abound  in  this 
bay  and  the  water  is  so  clear  that  you  can  see 
them  thirty  or  forty  feet  down." 

"  'What  were  these  sacrifices?"  I  inquired. 


35 

"  Human,  or  rather  inhuman/'  he  an- 
swered. 

"  The  priests  used  to  slay  their  victims  on 
the  altar  in  the  sacred  ami  and  use  their  en- 
trails for  the  purpose  of  divination." 

As  I  looked  again  at  that  black  square  upon 
the  shore  it  had  acquired  a  new  interest  and 
meaning  for  me.  There  was  a  deeper  darkness 
around  it  than  came  from  the  night,  an  exhal- 
ation of  mystery  arose  from  its  walls.  For 
cruel  death  and  bloody  sacrifice  had  been 
wrought  within  that  enclosure,  which  gave  it 
an  unholy  yet  lasting  consecration.  It  is  not 
strange  that  the  natives  regard  it  with  super- 
stitious fear.  For  them  the  somber  place  is 
filled  with  ghosts  and  evil  spirits  nesting 
thickly  within  the  walls,  or  flying  about  on 
bat-like  wings,  like  birds  of  evil  omen. 

Soon  the  gray  presence  of  the  morn  stepped 
quickly  forth  upon  the  land  and  sea,  and 
cast  from  her  shoulders  the  dark  shadows 
of  the  night.  Our  ship,  as  the  light  grew 
stronger,  turned  upon  her  track  and 


16 

sailed  up  the  coast  to  Mauakona.  The  wind 
was  blowing  great  guns,  presumably  thirteen- 
ineli,  off  shore  and  flattening1  out  the  yeasty 
seas  beneath  its  force.  I'nder  the  circum- 
stances I  refused  the  invitation  of  the 
humorist  to  go  ashore  in  one  of  the  boats. 
It  happened  lie  was  tax  assessor  for  one  of 
the  islands,  and  said  he  desired  to  appraise 
the  value  of  some  of  the  blocks  in  Maua- 
kona, which  place  consisted  of  one  white 
house  and  a  weather-beaten  store,  while 
around  it  lay  a  country  which  was  as  desolate 
as  only  a  tropical  one  can  be  when  it  decides 
to  become  a  desert.  Then  he,  with  a  brother 
assessor,  who  was  aboard,  and  several  other 
presumably  intelligent  individuals,  climbed 
into  the  boat,  and  it  was  quickly  lowered  down 
the  side.  They  waved  to  us,  who  were  watch- 
ing them  over  the  rail,  and  made  audible 
comments  on  our  lack  of  nerve. 

."I  shall  telephone  to  Ililo,"  shouted  back 
one,  "  that  there  is  a  party  of  distinguished 
congressmen  aboard,  who  have1  come  down  to 
spy  out  the  land,  and  they  will  prepare  some 
fatted  pups  for  your  luau." 


17 


"Better  not  tell  them  that  there  are  any  tax 
assessors  in  the  bunch,"  retorted  an  individual 
leaning  over  the  rail,  "  or  the  hospitable  cit- 
izens will  make  our  reception  a  trifle  too 
tropical." 

The  boat  had  now  drifted  away  from 
the  ship's  side  about  seventy-five  feet, 
when  to  our  glad  surprise  we  observed  that 
they  were  not  making  any  headway  against 
the  tremendous  wind,  though  the  sturdy 
natives  were  bending  their  oars  through  the 
water.  The  gray-whiskered  old  captain  was 
looking  down  grimly  from  the  bridge,  for 
they  had  started  in  spite  of  his  advice  not  to 
attempt  a  landing.  Our  party  on  deck  tried 
to  furnish  them  with  helpful  advice  and  add 
to  their  happiness  by  pleasant  comments. 

"  Is  that  the  fast  boat?  If  so,  what  is  it  fast 
to?" 

"  Why  don't  you  fellows  in  the  stern  take 
off  your  coats  and  help  row?"  remarked  one. 

"  Better  throw  up  the  sponge,  along  with 
the  other  things,"  suggested  a  pale  convales- 
cent. 


18 

"  Don't  leave  us  in  that  unceremonious 
manner,"  protested  a  third.  "Are  you  gen- 
tlemen going  to  Mauakona,  Samoa,  or  are  you 
going  to  stay?" 

"  If  you  get  there  before  we  do,"  \ve  all 
shouted  in  chorus. 

The  party  in  the  boat  waved  their  hats  and 
urged  us  "  to  come  off  our  perch,"  which  we 
firmly  declined  to  do. 

Just  then  a  note  of  tragedy  came  in, 
"  Come  back,  George,  dear,"  wailed  a  fem- 
inine voice  at  my  elbow.  "  You  will  be 
drowned;"  but  George,  who  seemed  somewhat 
despondent,  could  not  come  back,  so  he  waved 
a  deprecatory  hand,  and  then  looked  over  the 
boat's  side. 

Just  then  there  came  a  loud  splintering 
sound.  The  bow  oar,  a  big  fat  kanaka,  had 
put  on  too  much  force,  and  his  blade  was  shat- 
tered. Then  the  boat  began  to  drift  in  earn- 
est, the  steerer  contenting  himself  with  keep- 
ing her  straight  before  the  wind,  and  in  a 
short  time  they  were  far  astern.  All  hands 


19 

were  now  summoned  aft  to  reassure  the  dis- 
tracted bride. 

"  There  was  absolutely  no  danger,"  "  This 
had  happened  before,"  "  In  a  short  time  the 
steamer  would  pick  them  up." 

But  it  was  all  to  no  avail.  She  would  glance 
for  a  moment  at  the  boat,  which  was  now  a 
mere  black  speck,  bobbing  on  the  waters,  then 
her  shapely  head  would  go  down  on  the  rail 
and  she  would  moan,  "  Oh,  George,  I  shall 
never,  never  see  you  again." 

Finally  the  purser's  boat  returned  from  the 
shore,  and  the  steamer  was  swung  round  and 
headed  towards  the  runaways.  In  ten  min- 
utes we  overhauled  them.  A  quickly  impro- 
vised reception  committee  had  gathered  on 
deck  to  receive  them  as  they  stepped  pale  and 
rather  drenched,  from  the  boat. 

"  Fine  place,  Mauakona,"  said  one  of  the 
committee,  "  so  convenient  to  telephone 
from." 

"  Nothing  like  having  a  boat  of  your  own 
in  which  to  sail  the  summer  seas,"  remarked 
the  chairman. 


20 

"  It  looked  like  a  judgment  on  you  tax  as- 
sessors," said  a  third. 

"  I  don't  know  about  that/'  replied  the 
humorist,  imperturbably,  "  I  shall  value  the 
land  more  highly  than  ever  now." 

Meanwhile  George  was  holding  a  reception 
that  must  have  repaid  him  for  all  his  trouble. 

"Think  I  shall  certainly  bring  my  wife 
next  time,"  remarked  an  elderly  gentleman 
sitting  near  the  rail,  "  and  try  this  little  ex- 
periment. Nothing  like  danger  for  restoring 
the  affections." 

We  discovered  afterwards  that  it  was  only 
a  cold  bluff  on  his  part,  and  that  he  was  not 
married  at  all. 

A  few  hours  later  we  rounded  the  northern 
point  of  Hawaii  and  were  soon  steaming  down 
the  beautiful  Hamakua  coast.  The  black 
precipices  rose  in  a  continuous  line  of  palisades 
from  out  the  sea,  with  no  white  beach  shelv- 
ing down.  The  great  green  surges,  with  the 
force  of  the  Pacific  behind  them,  rolled  against 
the  perpendicular  walls,  the  dark  surfaces  of 


21 

which  were  veined  at  frequent  intervals  by 
the  silvery  lines  of  the  waterfalls,  or  graced 
by  the  vines,  which  fell  in  straight  lines  or 
were  looped  in  varied  shapes.  Beyond  these 
cliffs  there  rose  the  splendid  slopes,  covered 
with  great  fields  of  cane.  Here  and  there 
were  groves  of  royal  palms  and  slender  cocoa 
trees,  fit  temples  for  the  gods  of  ancient 
Hawaii,  who  were  supposed  to  dwell  in  streams 
and  groves  and  mountains.  Still  higher  up 
the  slopes  grew  the  forests  of  koa  and  kukui. 
At  times  the  skirts  of  the  clouds,  heavy  with 
moisture,  dragged  along  the  lower  slopes, 
and  a  soft  gloom  would  diffuse  itself  over  the 
landscape.  Then  the  sun  would  roll  the  mists 
aside  for  the  moment  and  the  light  would  fall 
upon  tropical  vales,  hills  and  slopes,  with  all 
the  vividness  of  the  early  spring,  and  yet  with 
the  full,  rich  splendor  of  summer. 

We  reached  Hilo  in  the  afternoon  and  re- 
ported no  cholera  and  only  a  few  cases  of  seri- 
ous seasickness.  I  met  the  humorist  several 
hours  after  our  arrival,  down  town,  looking 


22 

for  his  trunk,  which  had  not  yet  put  in  its  ap- 
pearance. He  seemed  outwardly  calm,  and 
his  language  was  restrained  as  he  explained  to 
the  stout  purser,  who  just  came  bustling  up, 
and  who  had  many  excuses  to  offer;  that  he 
was  perfectly  aware  of  the  fact  that  the  steam- 
ship corporation  was  a  noble  organization  and 
was  run  entirely  in  the  interest  of  humanity, 
and  though  he  did  not  wish  to  insinuate  that 
it  was  carrying  his  trunk  concealed  about  its 
person  with  felonious  intent,  nevertheless  it 
contained  things  which  would  be  of  great  and 
immediate  use  to  him.  "  And  why,"  he  asked 
in  reasonable  tones,  "  should  the  company 
have  superfluous  suits  on  its  hands?  "  He 
got  the  trunk. 

The  next  morning  we  procured,  after  much 
effort  and  diplomacy,  two  horses  from  the 
autocrat  of  the  only  livery  stable  in  Hilo,  and 
started  on  our  ride  of  thirty-one  miles  to  the 
volcano.  It  was  overcast  and  muggy  as  we  left 
the  village,  but  after  following  the  road  for 
several  miles  up  the  gradual  slope  we  emerged 


23 

from  the  overhanging  growth  into  the  sun- 
shine, while  the  air  gradually  lost  its  murky 
heaviness  and  became  clear  and  vital.  Along 
the  distant  coast  was  the  ever  present  sea, 
ringing  with  its  broad  band  of  blue  the  island, 
and  its  calm  surface  was  burnished  with  the 
glow  of  the  white  sun,  which  gazed  from  its 
own  illimitable  blue  into  the  illimitable  blue 
beneath.  Before  us  rose  from  slow  and  mas- 
sive slopes  to  their  sun-crowned  heights,  the 
two  brothers,  Mauna  Loa  and  Mauna  Kea. 
It  is  only  Mauna  Loa  who  keeps  the  sacred 
fire  burning  on  his  altars;  the  other  dwells  in 
unapproachable  calm,  robed  in  sunshine  and 
girt  with  clouds.  As  we  went  on  our  way 
there  rose  continually  before  our  eyes  that 
distant  pillar  of  gray  white  smoke,  far  up  the 
slope  of  Manna  Loa,  which  marked  the  mecca 
of  our  travels  and  sufferings  by  sea  and  land. 
We  had  been  on  the  way  a  couple  of  hours 
when  we  overtook  the  four-seated  stage. 
From  both  sides  were  the  heads  of  the  pil- 
grims craned  out  as  they  gazed  at  the  tropical 


24 

foliage.  They  were  all  curiously  and  won- 
derfully decorated  with  tropical  flowers,  and 
wreathed  with  vines.  As  we  rode  past  we 
told  our  steamer  friends  that  they  were  a  bit 
slow  and  that  we  would  take  great  pleasure  in 
ordering  dinner  for  them  at  the  \^olcano 
House.  However,  our  pride  was  to  receive  a 
severe  blow,  for  we  had  not  ridden  many  miles 
when  we  were  overtaken  by  a  bicyclist,  with 
head  low  bent,  crouching  form  and  stealthy 
tread.  He  passed  us  as  if  we  had  been  an- 
chored to  the  road.  But  what  to  him  was  all 
the  beauty  surrounding  him?  He  saw  nothing 
but  the  black  road  that  flew  beneath  his  wheel 
and  might  just  as  well  have  been  in  the  Desert 
of  Sahara. 

"  They  are  a  strange  people,  these  bicycle 
faddists,"  remarked  the  humorist,  ''  half 
human,  half  mechanical  creatures." 

Perhaps  our  discomforture  had  something 
to  do  wTith  this  cynical  reflection. 

After  lunch  at  the  Half-way  House,  we 
rode  into  the  coffee  belt.  Some  of  the  places 


25 

appeared  very  home-like  and  pleasant,  with 
their  carefully  cultivated  rows  of  coffee 
shrubs,  their  scarlet  berries  shining  amid  the 
glossy  green  leaves,  and  with  the  fern-slab 
walks  leading  to  the  neat  cottages,  while  chil- 
dren were  at  play  in  the  yards  or  on  the 
shaded  road.  Veritable  oases  of  cultivation 
in  the  midst  of  the  tangled  wilderness  of 
tropical  growth. 

But  I  can  hear  the  plain  American  citizen 
growling,  "  Hang  your  descriptions.  How 
much  per  cent  can  we  realize  on  our  capital 
invested  in  this  industry?" 

Don't  ask  me;  ask  the  humorist,  he  has  a 
coffee  plantation  of  his  own.  He  knows,  but 
he  won't  tell.  Then  there  is  the  Hawaiian 
government;  it  bubbles  over  with  information 
on  the  subject. 

Further  on,  the  road  was  like  a  narrow 
stream,  running  along  the  bottom  of  a  ravine, 
with  ferns  and  vines  and  matted  vegetation 
along  the  steep  sides.  As  the  sun  marked  the 
middle  of  the  afternoon  we  came  out  on  a 


26 

high  plateau,  covered  with  old  lava  flows,  only 
partially  concealed  by  grass,  ferns  and  small 
trees.  If  our  horses  had  left  the  road  on 
either  side  they  would  have  been  quickly 
swallowed  up  in  one  of  the  deep  fissures, 
whose  treacherous  depths  were  concealed  by 
the  vegetation.  We  were  now  near  our  goal, 
and  from  the  edge  of  the  mesa  could  look  over 
into  the  crater,  from  whose  center  was  pour- 
ing a  ceaseless  flood  of  smoke. 

Tn  the  evening  the  stage  arrived  and  we 
went  out  to  welcome  our  belated  friends. 
There  was  one  young  man  in  the  crowd  Avho 
made  himself  conspicuous.  ]STothing  pleased 
him  and  he  let  it  be  known.  He  insisted  that 
he  had  been  brutally  deceived  in  the  volcano, 
that  it  was  nothing  but  smoke.  He  might 
have  stated  also  that  the  mountains  were  noth- 
ing but  a  collection  of  dirt,  and  the  sea  an 
aggregation  of  salt  water.  It  depends  on  the 
point  of  view.  He  demanded  that  the  pro- 
prietor of  the  hotel  should  fire  up  his  old  vol- 
cano, or  there  would  be  immediate  trouble. 


2Y 

We  feared  that  Madame  Pele,  who  must  have 
overheard  his  remarks,  would  sink  entirely 
out  of  sight,  or  flare  up  in  sudden  anger,  but 
she  continued  to  smoke  on  in  imperturbable 
peace. 

In  the  early  dawn,  before  the  sun  had  risen 
from  the  cold  sea  to  loosen  with  his  warm 
fingers  the  mist  clinging  to  the  mountain  sides 
and  while  the  steam  was  rising  from  the 
floor  of  the  crater  like  the  smoking 
campnres  of  a  great  army,  the  humorist  and 
myself  started  down  to  the  home  of  the  God- 
dess of  Fire.  So  much  has  been  written  in 
Pele's  honor  by  great  travelers  and  literati 
from  the  ends  of  the  earth,  that  I  shall  make 
my  necessary  tribute  to  her  a  very  brief  one. 
Around  her  rose  the  perpendicular  walls  of 
the  old  crater,  and  between  them  and  the 
smoking  cauldron  stretched  the  plain  of 
ancient  lava  flows;  in  some  parts  they  were 
broken  into  innumerable  sharp  bits,  in  other 
portions  they  still  retained  their  earlier  form. 
In  some  places  the  flow  was  in  appearance 


28 

like  a  huge  serpent,  whose  writhings  had  been 
preserved  in  a  perfect  petrifaction.  After  a 
walk  of  a  mile  and  a  half,  we  drew  near  the 
crater,  and  the  humorist  remarked  to  himself 
in  a  casual  tone,  "And  her  smoke  rose  up  for 
ever  and  ever."  It  was  appropriate. 

From  the  round  crater,  about  a  quarter  of  a 
mile  in  diameter,  the  smoke  rolled,  gushed 
and  bellied  out,  white  as  summer  clouds  on  the 
upper  swells,  and  tinged  with  yellow  sulphur, 
as  it  issued  forth.  It  drifted  slowly  in  a  mas- 
sive column  southward  down  the  mountain 
slope,  spreading  out  thinly  towards  the  far- 
ofT  sea.  A  few  years  back,  looking  down  into 
this  crater,  one  could  see  the  earth's  heart  laid 
bare  with  its  red  and  beating  pulses.  Xow 
there  is  nothing  but  this  crowding,  stifling 
vapor.  Perhaps  Pele's  epitaph  is  written  in 
this  slowly  drifting  smoke. 

As  the  cool  of  evening  draws  near  we  sally 
forth  again  from  the  hotel  to  visit  what  might 
be  called  the  side  shows  of  Iviluaea.  First 
there  is  Kiluaea  Eke  to  the  left  of  the  main 


29 

volcano  and  about  three  quarters  of  a  mile 
from  the  hotel.  It  is  an  extinct  volcano,  its 
crater  forming  a  perfect  amphitheatre,  with  a 
pool  of  black  lava  far  down  at  the  bottom. 
The  white  mists  roll  in  as  you  look,  and  the 
whole  crater  is  shut  from  view,  and  you  hurry 
back  before  the  narrow  path  through  the 
undergrowth  is  obscured  by  the  clinging  folds 
of  white.  Much  nearer  the  Volcano  House 
are  the  sulphur  banks,  the  yellow  flakes  of 
which  crunch  under  your  feet  like  snow,  only 
it  is  snow  that  is  soiled,  and  warm  to  the  touch, 
such  as  might  have  fallen  thickly  in  the  at- 
mosphere of  Dante's  Inferno.  The  bushes 
overhanging  the  banks  are  incrusted  with  the 
yellow  frost. 

As  the  sun  sinks  behind  the  far  crest  of 
Mauna  Loa  its  yellow  banners  are  withdrawn 
from  the  mountain  side,  and  the  slopes  look 
almost  bleak  in  the  bluish  light,  with  the  great 
lava  flows  running  down  them  like  gigantic 
streams  of  ink.  There  is  a  nip  of  cold  in  the 
air,  and  you  gladly  seek  the  warmth  of  the 


30 

big  fireplace  in  the  old-fashioned  sitting  room 
of  the  hotel,  where  yon  can  sit  in  the  circle 
of  the  fire  light,  the  shadows  wavering  in  the 
back  part  of  the  room,  and  listen  to  the  stories 
of  your  fellow  travelers,  or  watch  the  flames 
as  they  rush  up  the  wide  throat  of  the  chim- 
ney. 


[MAUN A  KEA. 

* 

Thou  risest  from  the  central  purple  seas; 
Thy  brow  doth  wear  a  crown  of  Arctic  snow, 
While  round  thy  feet  there  stand  the  tropic 

trees ; 

The  royal  palm  and  slender  cocoa  slow 
Wave  their  dark  plumes  beneath  the  winds 

which  blow 

From  off  the  ocean's  plain,  and  there  doth  rise 
Along  the  slope  the  elm  and  oak  in  row  on 

row, 

While  from  slow-rising  base  to  crest  there  lies 
The  radiant  light  which  dwells  beneath  the 

southern  skies. 

Mauna  Kea!     From  thine  isolated  throne 
Thou  rulest  realms  which  stretch  to  distant 

shores, 
Where  on  the  northern  strand  the  gray  waves 

moan, 

(31) 


32 

Or  where  the  Orient  heaps  its  richest  stores, 
And  o'er  this  world  thy  cloudy  banner  soars; 
Thy  compeers  are  the  lofty  Alpine  peaks 
And  Himalayan  heights  which  reach  the  doors 
Of  Heaven's  blue,  on  whom  God's  light  first 

seeks 
Its  earthly  place  and  where  its  latest  presence 

speaks. 

When  slow  the  sun  begins  its  western  course 
There  come   from   valleys  dark   and   seas   a 

light; 
The  loitering  clouds,  and  soon  in  gathering 

force 

They  form  around  thee  in  a  ring  of  white. 
Thou  sendest  them  on  winds  to  take  their 

flight, 

To  thunder  o'er  the  seas,  or  fill  with  rain 
The  vales,  till  trees  and  slopes   are   hid    from 


The  storm  to  thy  clear  height  cannot  attain; 
As  sea  and  isle  grow  dusk  the  light  from  thee 
doth  wane. 


THE  GHOST  OF  THE  HEIAU. 


If  you  are  tired  of  civilization  arid  desire  to 
withdraw  in  absolute  seclusion  from  this 
wicked  and  weary  world,  I  know  of  no  better 
place  than  Kipukai.  It  lies  on  the  coast  of 
Kauai  and  is  shut  in  on  the  land  side  by  per- 
pendicular cliffs,  beneath  which  are  a  few 
thousand  acres  of  grazing  land;  and  these 
cliffs  sweep  around  until  they  meet  the  sea  — 
and  there  you  are,  bottled  up,  but  it  is  delight- 
ful, at  least  for  a  while.  It  is  especially  pleas- 
ant to  lie  in  the  hammock  which  swings  in  the 
shade  of  the  broad  lanai  in  front  of  the  little 
white-washed  cottage  and  watch  the  great 
blue  billows  of  the  Pacific  as  they  roll  be- 
tween the  black  lava  headlands  into  the  little 
bay  and  spread  out  thinly  upon  the  white  sand 
of  the  beach,  the  glazing  water  edged  with 
foam.  Lulled  by  the  continuous  and  monot- 

(33) 


34 

onous  roar  of  the  waves  you  drop  off  into  a 
profound  sleep,  and  when  you  awake  some 
hours  later  von  decide  it  is  too  close  under  the 
lanai  and  accordingly  move  around  to  the  lit- 
tle porch  on  the  mauka  side  of  the  house, 
where  you  can  raise  your  eyes  from  the  novel 
you  are  reading  and  watch  the  shadows  as 
they  creep  down  the  steep  mountain  sides  just 
above  you  or  study  out  the  strange  patterns  of 
the  forests  clinging  to  them.  These  forests  are 
like  inlaid  work  with  the  dark  leaves  of  the 
Koa  intermingled  with  the  creamy  white  of 
the  Kukui.  Sometimes  they  resemble  to  your 
eye  rich  old  tapestries  hung  on  the  dark  moun- 
tain walls.  Old  Hoary  Head,  the  chieftain  of 
the  Kipukai  Kange,  has  a  distinction  of  his 
own  as  he  has  not  the  Gothic  form  of  the 
other  mountains,  but  is  Byzantine  in  shape, 
with  the  great  dome  of  green  rising  a  thou- 
sand feet  above  the  ridge. 

Tn  the  summer  of  1896  a  party  consisting 
of  half  a  dozen  young  fellows,  college  boys 
home  for  vacation,  were  over  in  Kipukai,  not, 


35 

however  seeking  rest  and  repose,  for  they 
came  to  hunt  the  goats  which  infest  the  moun- 
tain ranges  and  to  fish  for  the  sharks  which 
abound  in  the  waters  along  the  coast. 

One  evening  we  were  gathered  on  the  lanai, 
as  usual  after  supper,  smoking  our  pipes  and 
comparing  notes  on  the  day's  fortunes.  The 
members  of  the  coast  division  who  preferred 
sharking  or  gathering  shells  by  the  murmur- 
ing sea,  had  some  remarkable  tales  to  tell  of 
the  monsters  of  the  deep  they  had  either  seen 
or  caught,  but  they  produced  no  extrinsic  evi* 
dence;  while  the  mountain  division  had  a  pair 
of  horns  but  the  goats  they  had  shot  had  un- 
fortunately fallen  over  the  cliffs  just  out  of 
reach. 

"  I'm  sure  1  hit  that  old  black  Billy,  didn't 
you  see  him  limping  off?"  remarked  one  of 
the  hunters. 

"  Fell  into  the  limpid  sea,  I  suppose,  and 
committed  suicide,  as  usual,"  returned  one  of 
the  sharkers. 

He  was  immediately  sat  upon,  his  sense  of 


36 

humor  not  being  appreciated  by  the  majority. 
After  this  came  anecdotes  sacred,  secular  and 
profane,  which  I  shall  omit,  being  studious 
of  brevity.  Then,  followed  the  usual  talk 
whenever  college  boys  get  together.  The 
man  from  Yale  had  a  few  words  to  offer,  as  he 
lay  on  his  back  puffing  at  his  pipe,  in  regard  to 
the  relative  merits  of  the  Cook,  Courtney 
and  Lehman  strokes,  and  also  spoke  of  the 
actresses  he  had  met.  The  Harvard  repre- 
sentative explained  philosophically  why  his 
University  did  not  always  win  in  athletics. 
The  Cornell  man  spoke  modestly  of  their 
ability  to  outrow  anything  on  the  waters,  not 
barring  Pennsylvania;  while  the  Tech  gradu- 
ate stated  that  at  his  institution  there  was 
more  work  than  play. 

As  it  grew  darker,  with  no  light  except  that 
which  came  from  the  pipes  or  the  glowing  end 
of  some  cigar,  the  talk  drifted  into  ghost  lore, 
and  several  thrilling  experiences  were  related 
by  the  various  members  of  the  "Amalgamated 
Order  of  Unsuccessful  Hunters,"  as  they 


37 

styled  themselves.  The  only  drawback  to  the 
solemnity  of  the  occasion  was  the  con- 
duct of  the  Yale  man,  who  displayed 
unusual  signs  of  fear  at  the  wrong 
place.  His  teeth  would  chatter  audibly 
and  he  would  grasp  the  fellow  next  to  him 
convulsively  and  consequently  a  fight  would 
ensue. 

"  What  is  that  T  hear,"  he  exclaimed  ex- 
citedly, at  one  point,  "  is  it  the  waves  moan- 
ing on  the  lonely  beach?" 

When  peace  was  restored,  young  Rowan, 
whose  large  frame  was  stretched  out  on  the 
floor,  with  his  head  resting  on  the  door-sill, 
spoke  up :  "  I  will  tell  you  fellows  a  little  in- 
cident that  happened  to  me  not  long  ago,  if 
you  care  to  hear  it." 

We  told  him  to  fire  away,  as  he  was  an  un- 
usually intelligent  young  fellow  who  had 
lived  a  long  time  on  the  islands,  and  was 
reticent  unless  he  had  something  to  tell. 

"  Most  of  you  fellows  know  of  that  old 
heiau  beyond  Koloa  on  the  slope  about  a 


38 

mile  above  the  sea.  It  rises  in  the  sliape  of  a 
square,  looking  like  a  deserted  cattle  pen,  for 
of  course  the  interior  temple  disappeared 
many  years  ago.  ]}y  the  way  you  have  no 
idea,  unless  you  have  lived  among  them, 
how  superstitious  the  natives  are  about 
everything,  especially  in  regard  to  these 
old  temples.  I  will  give  you  an  instance 
of  their  disposition  in  that  line.  Some  old 
hag  of  a  kahuna,  or  sorceress,  will  obtain  a 
lock  of  hair,  or  a  piece  of  toe  or  ringer  nail 
from  some  unfortunate  kanaka,  and  by 
means  of  a  black  stick,  a  stone  god  and  a  bot- 
tle of  gin,  with  various  heathen  incantations, 
will  anaana  or  pray  to  death  that  particular 
heathen  until  he  goes  into  a  decline  and 
finally  gives  up  the  ghost  from  actual  fright; 
fear  freezes  the  soul  out  of  him. 

"Here  is  another  illustration:  You 
know  that  place  on  the  road  between 
Ivoloa  and  Lihue,  just  above  the  bridge 
where  the  lahala  trees  come  down  the 
slope.  No  native  will  pass  that  after 


39 


night,  if  he  can  help  it,  for  it  is  haunted  for 
him  in  some  peculiar  way  of  which  we  have 
no  conception;  but  the  site  of  one  of  their  old 
heathen  temples  is  the  place  of  combined  hor- 
ror and  ghostliness  for  them.  I  wager  that 
you  might  put  up  a  house  where  one  of  the  old 
heiaus  once  stood,  fill  the  cellars  with  gin,  the 
yard  with  fat  pigs  and  string  calabashes  of  poi 
along  the  veranda,  and  you  could  not  get  a 
kanaka  to  stay  there  over  night,  unless  he  was 
dead  drunk;  and  then  his  friends  would  come 
and  carry  him  away.  I  was  perfectly  aware 
of  the  fact  that  my  men  were  afraid  of  this 
hoiau  near  Koloa  and  would  never  pass  by  it 
after  night  had  fallen.  One  evening,  how- 
ever, this  state  of  affairs  was  brought  forcibly 
to  my  attention.  I  was  sitting  on  the  lanai, 
smoking  after  a  hard  day's  ride  after  cattle, 
when  my  head  luna,  an  intelligent  half  white, 
who  had  graduated  from  one  of  the  Honolulu 
schools,  came  dashing  into  the  yard,  and, 
throwing  his  bridle  rein  over  the  horse's  head, 
came  rapidly  towards  where  I  was  sitting.  I 


40 

may  say,  as  a  rule,  he  moved  ratlier  leisurely, 
except  when  he  was  on  horseback.  I  saw 
there  was  something  unusual  the  matter  with 
him;  he  was  trembling  all  over  and  there  was 
a  terrible  fear  lurking  in  his  eyes.  '  What's 
up/  I  asked.  He  spoke  in  short,  gasping 
breath  as  if  he  had  been  running :  '  I  was 
galloping  along  the  road  not  five  minutes  ago 
and  was  just  opposite  the  old  heiau  and  going 
at  a  pretty  good  gait,  when  my  horse  suddenly 
sprang  sideways  into  the  ditch  and  stood 
trembling.  I  could  not  see  anything  at  first 
and  I  spurred  him,  but  it  was  no  use.'  He 
stopped  for  breath  and  looked  furtively  be- 
hind him.  Then  I  went  to  the  dining  room 
and  poured  some  brandy  into  a  glass  and 
brought  it  out  to  him.  In  a  white  man  such 
fear  would  have  been  cowardly,  but  I  knew 
with  a  native  it  wras  different.  He  continued: 
'  Then  I  saw  something  trying  to  crawl  up  the 
side  of  the  stone  wall  of  the  heiau  and  it  fell 
back  into  the  grass  with  a  kind  of  a  moan;  at 
this  my  horse  jumped  forward  down  the  road, 


41 


and  looking  back  I  saw  the  thing  wavering 
on  the  wall  and  then  fall  into  the  enclosure.' 
I  realized  this  was  rather  serious,  for  I  had 
confidence  in  the  man's  nerve,  and  I  did  not 
wish  the  report  to  spread  among  the  men. 

"  '  I  don't  deny,  Henry,'  I  said,  '  that  you 
have  sren  something,  but  it  is  probably  some 
cursed  nonsense,  as  most  all  these  cases  are. 
More  than  likely  it  was  one  of  the  bushes  in- 
side of  the  stone  wall  of  the  heiau  waving 
in  the  moonlight— anyway  don't  speak  of  this 
to  the  men  and  to-morrow  night  I  will  camp 
out  there,  and  then  we  will  see  what's  in  it.' 

"  '  Very  well,  sir,'  he  replied,  as  he  walked 
away.  At  the  edge  of  the  lanai  he  stopped 
for  a  moment.  '  Better  take  your  revolver 
with  you.'  '  Not  much,'  I  replied,  '  what 
good  would  that  do  with  a  ghost?  I  wrould 
rather  have  a  kahuna.'  I  thought  Henry 
laughed  rather  unpleasantly,  as  he  swung 
himself  onto  his  horse  and  rode  out  of  the 
yard. 

"  Late  the  next  afternoon  I  had  my  horse 


42 

saddled,  and,  tying  a  roll  of  blankets  on  be- 
hind and  filling  my  pockets  with  some  Manila 
cigars,  started  off.  Arriving  near  the  heian 
I  tied  my  horse  to  the  roots  of  a  lahala  tree 
with  the  lasso,  about  two  hundred  yards  from 
the  road.  Then  I  examined  the  heian;  it 
was  about  one  hundred  feet  square,  surround- 
ed with  heavy  walls  several  feet  thick  com- 
posed of  black  lava  rocks,  and  about  six 
feet  high.  Jumping  over  into  the  sacred 
enclosure,  I  made  a  thorough  examination, 
but  found  no  prints  of  any  kind  in  the  red 
dirt  near  the  center  of  the  square.  Most  of 
the  interior  was  covered  with  short  grass.  In 
three  of  the  corners  was  a  heavy  growth  of 
hau  bushes.  I  selected  the  northeast  corner 
for  my  resting  place.  Where  the  branches  of 
the  bushes  almost  swept  the  ground,  and 
within  their  shelter  the  earth  was  cool  and 
dry,  and  it  was  an  excellent  place  to  observe 
from,  that  is,  if  observation  became 
necessary.  But  I  fully  expected  to  go  to 
sleep  and  not  wake  until  the  sunshine  was 


43 


pouring  into  the  enclosure  the  next  morning; 
how  well  I  succeeded  will  appear  later  on. 
While  putting  my  roll  of  blankets  back  in 
the  corner  I  came  upon  a  bottle  half  full  of 
Japanese  sake  and  a  few  dried  fish,  wrapped 
up  in  brown  paper,  and  I  immediately  de- 
cided that  this  was  the  lunch  room  of  one  of 
the  migratory  Japs  who  travel  between  Lihue 
and  Makaweli.  After  finishing  my  simple  ar- 
rangements I  sauntered  down  the  slope 
toward  the  Spouting  Horn,  whose  blasts  came 
fitfully  to  my  ears  as  its  intermittent  and  gey- 
ser-like column  of  water  shot  up  high  in  the 
air.  It  was  a  beautiful  evening,  quiet  and 
peaceful.  The  sun  sank  into  the  tranquil  sea, 
leaving  a  faint  orange  glow  to  mark  his  de- 
parture. I  sat  upon  a  rock  smoking  and 
watching  the  surge  of  the  Pacific  rolling  with 
lazy  force  along  the  low  rocky  coast.  I  must 
have  been  there  several  hours  before  I  decided 
to  return  to  my  camping  place.  It  had  be- 
come dark,  and  as  I  turned  back  up  the  slope 
the  mild  light  of  the  tropical  stars  shone  down 


44 

upon  me.  I  could  see  the  black  walls  of  the 
heiau  higher  up  and  it  did  not  look  at  all 
cheerful,  and  when  in  climbing  over  the  wall 
a  loosened  stone  fell  down  with  a  crash,  1 
wished  for  some  indefinable  reason  that  it  had 
not  happened.  I  listened  breathlessly  for  a 
moment  and  then  crossed  the  enclosure  to  my 
corner,  something  like  a  prize-fighter  you  sec, 
only  I  had  to  face  the  shadowy  powers  of 
darkness,  and  it  was  not  pleasant.  As  I  lay 
on  the  outspread  blankets  I  found  it  impos- 
sible to  sleep.  A  heavy  pall  of  darkness 
seemed  to  rest  over  the  heiau  and  it  was  black 
as  the  depths  of  a  well;  while  not  a  breath  of 
air  was  stirring.  The  bushes  in  the  corner 
opposite  as  motionless  and  black  as  if 
carved  out  of  the  palpable  gloom,  and 
as  I  rolled  and  tossed  a  stick  snapped 
under  me,  sending  a  thrill  through  my 
nerves.  Two  hours  must  have  passed 
when  I  was  sure  that  I  heard  something  mov- 
ing along  the  wall,  and  then  the  hau  bushes 
were  shaken  violently  above  my  head.  Was 


45 

it  climbing  up  the  wall  to  drop  upon  me  in 
another  second?  Suddenly  the  shaking 
ceased  and  I  heard  a  low,  heavy  breathing, 
followed  by  a  crunching  sound.  Seizing  a 
rock,  I  climbed  up  on  the  wall  and  almost  re- 
coiled backwards,  for  a  black  object  was  wav- 
ing in  front  of  my  eyes,  when  with  a  sudden 
snort  of  fear  it  bounded  away,  and  to  my  in- 
tense relief,  I  recognized  a  large  black  steer 
which  had  been  grazing  near.  Laughing  at 
my  fear,  and  with  renewed  confidence,  I 
crawled  under  the  sheltering  hau  bushes 
again:  but  my  interest  had  somehow  been 
aroused  and  sleep  was  banished  from  me.  It 
must  have  been  about  midnight  when  I  no- 
ticed a  light  gradually  diffusing  itself  through 
the  darkness,  and,  getting  up,  I  crossed  the 
heiau  and  looked  over  the  wall.  The  great 
moon  was  rising  in  yellow  splendor  from  the 
sea,  banishing  the  darkness  from  the  surface 
of  the  placid  waters  and  casting  long  black 
shadows  of  trees  and  shrubs  far  up  the  slope. 
The  dark  line  of  the  road  was  plainly  visible 


4G 

to  the  right,  and  there  was  my  horse  peace- 
fully grazing  just  on  the  other  side  of  it,  and 
his  being  there  somehow  gave  me  a  sense  of 
security  and  companionship.  If  I  imagined 
that  the  light  was  going  to  add  to  the  cheer- 
fulness of  my  surroundings,  I  was  sadly  mis- 
taken. Again  and  again  I  would  start  up  on 
my  elbow  and  gaze  fixedly  into  the  bushes  op- 
posite, sure  that  there  was  something  creeping 
amongst  them,  and  the  waving  branches  cast 
shadows  which  became  dark  and  malignant 
forms  creeping  toward  where  I  lay.  Nothing 
came  of  it,  but  my  nerves  were  at  tension.  I 
laughed  at  myself  as  being  no  better  than  the 
kanaka,  but  the  shadow  of  some  imminent 
danger  rested  upon  me  and  I  could  not  shake 
it  off.  Why  was  it  that  the  spot  of  red  in  the 
center  of  the  heiau,  which  was  composed  of 
nothing  but  red  dirt,  admirably  adapted  for 
growing  sugar  cane,  took  on  a  sinister  aspect? 
It  was  right  there  that  the  blood  had  fallen, 
drop  by  drop,  from  the  ghastly  throats  of  the 
sacrificial  victims. 


47 

"  I  set  myself  steadfastly  to  consider  the 
work  of  the  morrow,  detail  by  detail;  in  fact, 
I  laid  out  so  much  that  there  certainly  would 
have  been  a  strike  among  the  men.  But  it 
was  absolutely  useless;  all  the  wierd  and 
haunting  tales  I  had  ever  read  came  back  to 
mo.  One  especially  stayed  in  my  mind;  I 
had  read  it  years  ago  in  an  old  tattered  maga- 
zine that  was  lying  about  the  house.  It  ran 
through  my  memory  thus: 

"  '  The  heavy  tapestry  was  drawn  slowly 
back  and  the  insane  mistress  of  the  house, 
with  a  mastiff  at  her  heels,  stalked  stealthily 
through  the  shadows  towards  the  canopied 
bed,  Avhere  the  guest  lay  peacefully  sleeping. 
A  scream,  a  gurgling  sound,  a  Avild  yell  of 
laughter,  and  then  a  heavy  knocking  on  the 
oaken  door.' 

"  What  was  that?  It  was  no  vision  this 
time.  ]  opened  my  eyes  and  there  it  was, 
swaying  on  the  wall;  then  came  a  thud. 
Crouching  in  the  protection  of  the  overhang- 
ing branches,  with  every  sinew  drawn  to  the 


48 

tension  of  steel,  I  looked  across  the  open  space 
into  the  shadows  opposite.  I  felt  there  was 
something  of  dire  menace  to  me  lurking  in  the 
blackness  yonder.  For  a  moment  I  listened, 
tli ere  was  not  a  sound,  and  I  began  to 
persuade  myself  that  a  stone  had  rolled  down 
into  the  enclosure,  and  the  object  on  the 
wall  was  nothing  but  the  waving  branches. 
Just  then  there  came  a  sound  from  the 
shadows  opposite,  unlike  anything  I  had  ever 
heard;  it  was  not  exactly  a  moan,  but  more 
resembling  the  labored  breathing  of  some 
strange  animal.  Convulsively  I  seized  a  stone 
near,  and,  half  rising,  was  about  to  hurl  it  into 
the  bushes,  and  then  with  all  the  force  of  my 
frightened  energy  spring  over  the  wall  and 
on  to  my  horse  and  dash  for  home;  but  it  was 
too  late;  the  creature,  whatever  it  was,  had 
evidently  heard  something  that  aroused  its 
suspicion  and  was  creeping  from  its  hiding 
place.  It  stopped  half  in  the  shadow  and 
half  in  the  moonlight;  then  T  could  not  have 
moved  for  the  life  of  me.  It  stood  on  all 


49 

fours  waving  its  head  slowly  back  and  forth, 
in  the  moonlight,  and  there  came  that  labored 
breathing;  an  aura  passed  over  my  nerves. 
Slowly,  inch  by  inch,  it  came;  then  with  a  cry 
it  moved  quickly  to  the  red  spot  in  the  center 
of  the  heiau,  and  I  started  violently  back. 
Would  it  spring  upon  me  next?  And  my 
blood  congealed  around  my  heart.  As  it  stood 
swaying  there  it  partially  rose  and  seemed 
trying  to  peer  through  sightless  eyes,  and  just 
tjien  the  light  fell  upon  its  face. 

"  Merciful  Heavens !  I  never  saw  its  like 
before;  it  was  not  human.  A  mouth,  if  such 
it  could  be  called,  had  eaten  around  into  a 
cheek  of  awful  corruption.  It  was  the  ghast- 
liness  of  living  death;  that  thing  belonged  in 
the  moldering  grave. 

"  What  did  it  hear  on  the  surface  of  the 
living  earth,  with  a  robe  of  beautiful  moon- 
light falling  all  around  it  ?  It  crouched,  wav- 
ering for  a  moment,  while  my  breathing 
seemed  almost  stifled.  A  dim  perplexity  was 
in  its  attitude,  as  it  bent  forward  with  one 


50 

claw-like  hand  outstretched  and  resting  its 
weight  upon  the  mere  club  of  the 
other.  I  would  not  have  had  that  thing 
touch  me  for  a  thousand  worlds.  Then  it 
came,  and  my  every  energy  was  suddenly 
loosened  and  I  sprang  through  the  bushes,  but 
I  was  not  quite  quick  enough.  The  grasp  of 
its  one  hand  rested  on  my  arm,  and  I 
can  feel  it  there  right  now;  and  that  face  was 
almost  against  me.  I  cast  it  aside,  and 
the  creature  tottered,  stumbling  and  moaning 
towards  the  ground.  T  don't  recollect  how  I 
got  over  the  wall.  I  found  my  horse  lying 
on  the  ground  with  the  rope  pulled  tightly 
around  the  neck,  and  his  eyes  rolling  in  his 
head.  Quickly  cutting  the  rope,  I  sprang  on 
the  horse  and  gaining  the  road,  I  galloped 
towards  home.  As  I  glanced  back  I  saw  the 
head  of  the  creature  looking  over  the  wall, 
following  me  with  its  eyes. 

"  I  have  never  spent  another  night  in  that 
sacred  enclosure,  and  when  I  pass  by  in  the 
day  time  it  does  not  look  exactly  right,  and  at 


51 

night  as  I  gallop  past  I  can  feel  tliat 
thing's  eyes  fixed  upon  my  spinal  column,  and 
hear  the  sound  of  its  wierd  and  mournful 
laughter.  That's  all." 

"  Well,  old  man,  you  have  gone  and  done 
it,"  remarked  one  of  our  group.  "  I  shall  not 
sleep  to-night  without  seeing  ghosts.  I  'hope 
there  are  none  of  those  things  in  this  section 
of  the  country." 

"  I  believe  there  is  an  outlawed  leper  hid- 
ing in  one  of  the  caves  on  Hoary  Head.  The 
authorities  are  after  him  to  send  him  to 
Molokai,  and  he  does  not  propose  to  go.  This 
was  the  case  with  my  friend  who  called  on 
me  on  that  memorable  evening  in  the  old 
temple.  You  see  his  people  had  left  the  gin 
and  fish  for  him  in  the  corner  of  the  heiau, 
and  he  came  after  them." 


HALEAKALA. 

* 

Lo,  once  tliou  dwelt  in  torment  and  in  pain; 

The  flames  lit  up  thy  swelling  smoke; 

The  sky  did  show  those  passions  which  thine 

heart  did  try; 
The  life  blood  rushed  from  out  thy  sides,  like 

rain, 

Till  black  and  cold  it  filled  the  lower  plain; 
'Twas   then   thy    mighty    friends    from    far 

Hawaii 
Signaled  to  thee  in  flames  which  surged  on 

high. 

Xow  upon  thy  quiet  air  there  is  no  stain; 
And   through    those   riven   sides    the    white 

clouds  roll, 

Filling  each  gash  and  every  rising  cone; 
Silence  of  death  here  reigns  for  thee  alone; 
But  hark !  far  down  there  floats  a  bird's  sweet 

song; 

The  silvery  notes  do  reach  thy  mighty  soul; 
The  strife  is  past  and  thou  art  scarred,  yet 

strong. 

(52) 


THE  LEGEND  OF  HALEAKALA. 

* 

We  stood  shivering  on  the  brink.  At  our 
very  feet  was  the  crater  of  Haleakala,  the 
House  of  the  Sun,  but  that  luminary  had  gone 
to  his  other  realms  and  left  his  dwelling  dark, 
unfathomable  and  void.  No  voice  of  nature 
was  there,  no  murmuring  breeze,  no  note  of 
bird,  no  spirit  of  man  or  of  God  moved  in 
those  lone  and  abyssmal  depths.  Only  the 
brilliant  stars  kept  watch  above,  and  they 
were  immeasurable  miles  away. 

We,  who  stood  there  in  the  cold  morning 
air,  did  not  add  in  any  way  to  the  majesty  of 
the  scene,  wrapped  as  we  were  in  blankets — 
red,  white  or  gray. 

"  Like  lost  spirits  waiting  for  waftage  to 
the  other  shore,"  remarked  the  humorist. 

"  I  am  sure  I  have  lost  my  spirits,"  said  a 
shivering  unfortunate,  "  I  think  the  guide 

stole  them." 

(53) 


54 

"  Tt  seems  to  me  we  look  more  like  a  group 
of  savage  Apaches  on  a  l>leak  mountain  sum- 
mit sketched  by  Remington,"  suggested  the 
artist  of  the  crowd. 

"  All,  there  she  blows,"  cried  the  first 
speaker,  pointing  toward  the  east,  where  a 
shaft  of  light  had  just  shot  from  the  dark  sea 
through  the  gray  clouds.  AVe  all  turned  and 
looked,  except  the  newly  married  couple ;  they 
gazed  into  each  other's  eyes  as  was  their  cus- 
tom. 

"  I  am  so  cold,  dearest,"  she  murmured. 

I  suppose  he  furnished  her  with  a  share  of 
his  red  blanket,  though  I  was  not  watching. 

''  Ladies  and  gentlemen,"  said  the  humor- 
ist, "  the  grand  cyclorama  of  sunrise  on 
Haleakala  is  about  to  open,  and  as  a  prelim- 
inary, I  move  we  throw  the  poet  over  the 
brink  as  a  propitiatory  sacrifice  to  the  God  of 
the  Sun,  who  appears  to  be  shocked  by  our  ap- 
pearance; and  besides  the  poet  will  attempt 
to  describe  this  scene  and  he  can't." 

"  Describe    nothing,"   retorted    the    poet, 


55 

"  my  teeth  are  chattering  so  my  tongue  can't. 
Let's  throw  the  guide  over,  that  will  pro- 
pitiate us  anyway." 

But  William,  the  guide,  looked  so  calm  and 
peaceful  as  he  sat  with  his  back  against  a  rock, 
smoking  a  short,  black  pipe,  that  we  had  not 
the  heart  to  disturb  him. 

Meanwhile  the  sun  rose.  He  has  done  this 
so  often  that  it  has  become  a  matter  of  course 
with  him.  But  rarely  has  he  risen  sur- 
rounded with  such  pomp  of  circumstance  and 
kingly  glory.  It  might  well  have  been  his 
coronation  morning,  with  clouds  of  heavy 
gorgeousness  upon  his  shining  shoulders,  and 
the  quick  heralds  of  light  sent  to  glow  the 
distant  mountain  heights  and  to  awaken  the 
dark  and  slumbering  sea.  We  seemed  to  be 
moving  in  worlds  unrealized  as  the  light  swept 
across  the  reach  of  clouds  at  our  feet,  broken 
as  a  sea  of  tumbled  ice,  while  around  the 
outer  rim  rose  forms  strange  or  fantastic,  the 
clouds  shaping  themselves  into  huge  animals 
or  rounding  in  noble  palaces  or  rising  in 


56 

lofty  pinnacles,  and  on  every  one  the  sun  had 
set  a  crown  of  flame.  The  light  with  rosy 
hands  pulled  slowly  back  the  shadows  from 
the  crater  until  it  stood  clearly  revealed  in  its 
silence  and  vastness.  Then  from  West  Maui 
to  Molokai  stretched  a  heavy  causeway  of 
cloud,  beneath  which  lay  the  sea  dark  and 
glowing  like  polished  porphyry.  Then  the 
sun  rose  above  the  clouds  and  the  common 
light  of  day  lay  round  us. 

"  'Tis  past,  the  visionary  splendor  fades," 
remarked  the  poet,  but  the  remark  was  not 
original  with  him. 

Our  party  now  adjourned  to  the  stone 
house  on  the  summit  known  as  Craigealea, 
and  after  drinking  some  hot  coffee  and  warm- 
ing ourselves  around  the  open  fire,  the  humor- 
ist and  myself  testified  to  our  intention  of  tak- 
ing William  and  walking  down  into  the  crater. 
They  all  said  that  we  were  several  kinds  of 
idiots,  and  that  they  would  take  their  exercise 
out  in  watching  us.  The  newly  married 
couple  said  nothing,  but  looked  as  1  have  be- 
fore stated. 


57 

"  I  think  that  haole  can't  go  down,"  re- 
marked William,  pointing  to  the  humorist. 
•"  His  legs  too  thin,  they  break." 

We  all  laughed  except  the  humorist,  who 
could  not  see  the  joke. 

"Break!  you  fat  rascal,"  he  exclaimed, 
"  before  I  am  done  with  you,  you  won't  be 
anything  but  an  animated  brown  shadow." 

With  sarcastic  comments  which  did  not  dis- 
turb our  serenity,  and  much  waving  of  hand- 
kerchiefs, we  began  the  descent.  We  went 
down  at  a  very  rapid  gait,  the  loose  dirt  smok- 
ing at  our  heels  and  the  canteen  thumping 
against  William's  fat  sides.  In  a  half  hour 
we  reached  the  floor  of  the  crater  and  stopped 
to  take  breath.  After  William  had  lighted 
his  pipe  we  went  on  our  way.  First  across 
the  black  lava  flows  and  broken  aa.  In  the 
days  of  its  storm  and  stress  this  had  been  the 
hot  and  glowing  life-blood  of  the  great  vol- 
cano, but  now  it  was  cold,  black  and  con- 
gealed. Beyond  the  flows  we  came  to  long- 
stretches  of  volcanic  sand,  and  the  lofty  cones 


58 

rose  above  us,  so  perfect  in  form  that  it  seemed 
the  slightest  breath  of  air  would  disturb  their 
symmetry.  Their  coloring  was  wonderful — 
velvety  black,  gray  and  red  shading  into  one 
another.  And  through  the  vast  silence  the 
silvery  notes  of  a  bird  floated  down  to  us  from 
the  far  battlements  of  the  crater. 

After  a  toilsome  tramp  we  reached  the  other 
side,  where  the  trees  come  down  the  slope, 
and  throwing  ourselves  down  in  the  shade,  we 
looked  across  the  burning  plain  and  enjoyed 
the  coolness  by  way  of  contrast,  as  we  smoked 
and  took  chance  shots  at  stray  goats  coming 
down  the  ridge. 

''  Do  you  know  any  stories  or  legends  con- 
nected with  Haleakala,  William  ?  "  I  inquired. 

'"Yes,  I  know  one;  my  grandma  always 
telling." 

"  That's  right,  "William,"  said  the  humor- 
ist, "  take  down  your  harp  from  the  weeping 
lahala  tree  and  sing  to  us  of  the  departed 
glories  of  your  race." 

"  You  see  my  grandma  great  old  woman, 


59 

"she  kahuna,  live  at  Hana.  I  hear  this  story 
every  since  f  was  kaiki.  She  says  it  comes 
clown  from  some  old  poets." 

And  after  gazing  across  the  crater  for  a 
while,  William  began,  in  his  native  tongue: 

"  In  former  times  from  the  distant  islands 
of  the  southern  sea  came  a  strange  people  to 
Hawaii.  On  their  spears  were  the  great 
sharks'  teeth,  and  their  tabu  staffs  were 
crowned  with  kapa,  black  or  white.  They 
were  great  of  stature  and  became  the  mois  of 
Hawaii.  Then  followed  a  people  from  be- 
yond the  rising  sun.  Small  and  broad  they 
were,  and  came  in  ships  such  as  were  never 
before  seen  within  the  Hawaiian  seas.  But 
stranger  than  these  peoples  was  an  alien  race 
that  came  from  out  the  distant  north  from 
whence  the  great  trees  come  which  float  down 
to  us  upon  the  rivers  of  the  sea,  and  where  the 
trade  winds  take  their  rise,  which  come  to 
cool  our  valleys  and  the  burning  sea. 

"  It  was  in  the  days  when  Hua,  the  impious 
king,  reigned  in  Hana.  It  chanced  on  the 


60 

third  day  before  the  feast  of  Lono  in  the  early 
morning'  when  the  fishermen  were  returning, 
six  canoes  came  from  out  a  mist  that  floated 
on  the  sea,  and  moved  quickly  in  even  line 
towards  the  curving  beach.  The  night  be- 
fore the  omens  had  portended  some  dire 
event.  The  sacrifices  had  risen  from  the 
blood-stained  lelc  and  stalked  beyond  the 
heian's  gate,  while  from  the  heights  of 
Haleakala  issued  the  groanings  of  the  Thun- 
der God.  As  the  aliens  strode  upon  the  beach 
they  were  taller  than  our  tallest  chiefs.  Their 
skins  were  red  as  Pele's  blood  that  beats  with- 
in her  heart,  but  their  eyes  were  black  as  is 
that  blood  when  it  cools  upon  the  mountain 
sides,  yet  their  glance  shot  fire  as  lightning 
from  the  thunder  clouds.  Their  heads  were 
encircled  by  high  feather  leis  which  swept 
backwards  almost  to  the  ground.  Feathers 
were  they,  gray  and  white,  such  as  never  grew 
upon  the  birds  that  fly  within  the  forests  or 
float  upon  the  sea. 

"  The  King  took  the  strangers  to  his  royal 


61 

Hale  and  gave  them  food  and  drink.  There 
was  a  woman  with  them,  the  wife  of  their 
great  chief.  She  appeared  like  a  prophetess, 
only  young.  Her  skin  was  pale  as  is  the 
white  sea  foam.  Her  dark  eyes  seemed  to 
gaze  afar  off,  and  her  smile  wras  like  the  flash 
of  the  sun  upon  the  sea.  When  Ilua  saw  her 
he  desired  her  for  himself,  and  his  women  be- 
came as  nothing  in  his  eyes.  Therefore  Hua 
urged  the  red  men  to  make  their  home  near 
his  Hale  and  they  should  be  aliis  in  the  land, 
though  the  priest,  Luahomoe,  warned  the  king 
that  their  coming  would  cast  a  shadow  on  his 
life.  But  the  strangers  would  not  dwell  with 
the  king  nor  with  his  people,  but  made  their 
home  far  up  on  the  slope  of  Haleakala,  where 
the  gray  clouds  ever  hang  and  the  white  rain 
falls  silently  to  the  ground. 

"  Sometimes  when  the  feather  hunters 
sought  the  mamo  and  the  oo  upon  the  moun- 
tains, they  would  see  a  figure  of  one  of  these 
men  standing  on  the  highest  mountain  peak 
against  the  black  clouds  as  though  carved  of 


62 

stone,  then  suddenly  he  would  raise  his  arms 
towards  the  sky  and  a  cry  would  come  quick 
as  a  javelin  piercing  to  the  heart,  or  they 
would  hear  a  rustling1  in  the  ferns  and  see  a 
shape  like  a  red  moo  moving  through  the 
green,  hut  whence  it  came  or  whither  it  went 
they  could  never  tell. 

''It  chanced  that  on  a  certain  day  their 
great  chief  came  down  to  the  plain  and  went 
to  see  the  king,  who  was  stretched  at  ease  in 
front  of  his  Hale  on  a  kapa  moe.  The  great 
chief  stood  and  would  not  sit  upon  the  mat- 
ting brought  by  the  attendant.  Then  the 
king  made  a  sign  to  one  of  his  retainers,  who, 
in  a  short  time,  brought  twelve  maidens,  with 
flowers  decking  their  dark  hair  and  ornaments 
of  pearl  and  shells  upon  their  ankles  and  their 
arms.  They  were  the  fairest  in  Una's  court. 
The  king  waved  his  hand  towards  where  they 
stood  and  said: 

"  '  Take  these,  O  chief,  they  are  yours,  but 
let  the  white  queen  dwell  with  me.' 

"  Then  the  great  chief  folded  his  arms  and 


63 

looked  down  at  the  king,  while  Tina's  guard 
gathered  close  around  him,  for  there  was  evil 
in  the  great  chief's  eye,  and  the  king  was  a 
very  little  man  before  him.  Then  he  grunted 
'  t'mph/  and,  turning,  left  the  presence  of 
the  king  and  went  quickly  to  his  mountain 
home. 

"  But  Una's  heart  was  hot  within  his 
breast,  so  he  vowed  to  take  the  great  chief's 
life  and  bring  the  white  queen  to  his  royal 
Hale.  Forthwith  he  sent  his  lunapais  into 
every  valley  and  along  the  sea  to  summon  the 
alii  and  their  warriors,  but  a  messenger  came 
the  following  day  from  the  great  chief,  say- 
ing: 

"  I  know  your  plotting  and  your  heart,  O 
king.  We  will  make  an  end  of  this  matter. 
Place  your  kingdom  against  the  possession  of 
the  white  queen.  Choose  your  mightiest 
warrior,  and  I  will  meet  him.  If  I  die,  take 
the  white  queen,  but  if  your  warrior  dies,  your 
people  and  your  lands  are  mine,  O  king.  But 
this  one  condition;  I  will  choose  the  place 
where  this  combat  is  to  be  fought.' 


64 

"  The  crafty  Hua  thought  within  his  heart, 
'  I  will  accept  this  challenge,  and  if  my  cham- 
pion fall  my  warriors  will  surround  him  and 
his  men  and  slay  them.  Then  the  white 
queen  shall  not  escape  me.'  So  he  assented. 
The  messenger  then  took  the  king,  and,  point- 
ing where  the  clouds  were  flowing  through 
the  Kaupo  gap,  he  said:  '  Tn  yonder  hollow 
mountain  fights  the  chief.' 

"  The  king's  heart  was  troubled  then,  but 
he  dare  not  return  upon  his  spoken  word. 
Among  the  alii  there  was  none  so  tall  and 
powerful  as  the  young  Kuala.  In  all  the 
sports  of  peace  he  was  pre-eminent.  While 
in  war  none  could  hurl  the  spear  so  swiftly, 
nor  use  the  javelin  with  such  skillful  hands, 
and  when,  he  whirled  the  battle  axe  above  his 
head  none  could  see  it  for  the  speed.  He  was 
chosen  champion  by  the  king. 

'"  For  many  days  the  priests  consulted  the 
oracles  within  the  enclosure  of  the  sacred  ami, 
but  the  omens  puzzled  them,  and  they  said  the 
Gods  were  not  at  peace  among  themselves. 


65 

"  It  was  on  the  evening  before  the  day  set, 
just  as  the  sun  sank  into  the  sea,  there  came  a 
cloud,  blacker  than  the  kapa  for  the  dead, 
moving  slowly  above  the  sea,  and  the  gray 
rain  following  as  a  veil  behind  it.  The  air 
around  was  very  still.  Then  suddenly  the 
cloud  turned  to  crimson  and  the  mountain 
and  the  thousands  on  the  beach  were  reddened 
as  though  by  the  glow  from  a  great  fire.  All 
were  frightened,  but  Kuala  only  laughed  and 
said :  '  If  it  storms  now  it  will  be  cooler  on  the 
morrow.'  The  old  priest  shook  his  head  and 
said:  '  My  son,  that  mountain  height  will  be 
plenty  cool  enough  for  thee.' 

"  Late  in  the  afternoon  of  the  destined  day 
the  hosts  of  Maui  were  gathered  in  the  arms 
of  the  great  mountain.  Foremost  stood  the 
king.  Around  his  shoulders  fell  the  yellow 
mamo  cloak,  and  on  his  head  a  helmet  yellow 
as  his  robe,  save  its  crest,  which  was  red  with 
the  feathers  of  the  scarlet  bird.  Behind  him 
stood  the  priests  in  feather  cloaks  red  as  the 
blood  of  their  sacrifices,  while  in  a  half  circle 


66 

rose  the  hundred  alii  in  cloaks  with  colors 
mingled  of  the  royal  yellow  and  the  priestly 
red.  As  the  sunlight  shone  upon  them  they 
were  in  form  and  color  as  the  rainbows  bent 
above  the  valleys  green,  and  on  the  rounded 
hills  of  sand  above  them  stood  the  warriors 
thicker  than  the  leaves  upon  the  forest  trees, 
and  their  thousand  spears  made  the  red  hills 
black.  A  murmur  ran  amongst  them  as  when 
the  voice  of  the  sea  conies  on  the  south  wind 
and  the  sky  is  gray.  The  priests  chanted  in 
low  tones  the  meles  of  Kuala's  race,  and 
waved  their  arms  as  they  sang  of  heroic  deeds. 
Kuala  stood  quietly  by  the  king  and  looked 
across  the  lava  plain  where,  in  the  distance, 
could  be  seen  the  red  men  moving,  one  behind 
the  other  in  a  line.  They  came  very  swiftly. 
When  they  reached  a  hundred  paces  from 
where  stood  the  king  they  stopped.  The 
white  queen  stood  forth  before  them.  Her 
color  was  no  longer  as  the  pale  foam,  for  the 
blood  beat  quickly  in  her  cheeks,  and  she 

J.  t/ 

breathed  as  though  she  had  been  running, 


67 

while  her  eyes  shone  so  that  even  Hua  turned 
his  glance  away.  The  great  chief  stood  near 
her,  but  impassive  as  though  carved  of  stone. 
Behind  them  the  warriors  stood  lean  and  red 
with  strange  colors  on  their  faces,  and  their 
heads  were  crowned  with  warlike  feathers. 
They  moved  not,  nor  looked  upon  the  war- 
riors on  the  hills,  regardless  of  them  as  though 
they  were  but  crawling  ants.  Then  the  mes- 
senger of  the  chief  advanced  across  the  sand 
and  stood  before  the  king. 

"  '  O,  King,  the  chief  is  ready  now  to  offer 
the  victim  chosen  by  you  for  the  sacrifice.' 

"  Hua  replied :  '  My  champion  is  here  at 
my  right  hand,  and  to-night  we  will  wrap 
your  chief  in  the  funereal  kapa,  and  the  black 
sharks  will  dine  upon  his  flesh.'  He  would 
have  spoken  more,  but  the  messenger  turned 
upon  his  heel  and  left  the  king. 

"  Kuala  threw  aside  his  feathered  cloak 
and  advanced  slowly  towards  the  level  sand. 
Then  there  rose  a  shout  from  the  hosts  upon 
the  hills  louder  than  the  thunder  of  the  great 


68 

waves  falling  on  the  beach,  and  the  priests 
chanted  in  loud  tones,  beating  wildly  on  their 
sacred  drums.  The  great  chief  advanced  to 
meet  his  foe,  then  stopped,  and  with  arms  out- 
stretched towards  the  sun,  gazed  straight  into 
its  burning  light  while  his  voice  reached  to 
the  remotest  warrior  on  the  hills,  though  none 
could  understand  the  words,  so  strange  they 
were.  Then  he  turned  and  faced  Kuala,  who 
stood  twenty  paces  distant.  All  was  quiet  as 
is  the  air  before  a  coming  storm.  Kuala 
slowly  raised  his  spear  above  his  head,  and 
bending  quickly  forward,  sent  it  with  such 
force  that  none  could  see  it  in  the  air,  but  the 
great  chief  was  quicker  than  the  spear,  and  it 
went  past  him  deep  into  the  sand.  His  spear 
flew  so  close  to  Kuala  that  he  felt  the  wind  of 
its  speed  upon  his  cheek.  The  second  time 
they  raised  their  arms  together  and  sent  the 
weapons  whirling  through  the  air.  The  war- 
rior's spear  struck  some  feathers  from  the 
great  chief's  head,  but  his  spear  went  straight 
toward  3Cuala's  heart,  yet  before  it  touched 


69 

his  body  lie  caught  it  with  his  hands  and 
turned  its  course  aside,  but  staggered  back- 
wards with  the  force.  Then  the  warriors 
cried  in  lamentation  on  the  hills,  but  when 
they  saw  he  was  unhurt  a  shout  arose  louder 
than  the  first.  The  last  spear  Kuala  poised 
above  his  head  was  of  polished  koa,  tipped 
with  ivory,  whose  point  had  been  dipped  in 
Po's  dark  waters,  and  carrying  death  upon  its 
slightest  touch.  But  it  never  reached  the  red 
chief,  for  the  two  spears  met  in  the  air  with 
a  great  clash  and  fell  broken  on  the  sand. 
Then  the  two  warriors  rushed  towards  each 
other  and  met  midway  on  the  sand,  their  jave- 
lins clashing  as  they  met.  Suddenly  the  light 
had  faded,  while  gray  clouds  covered  the 
crater  as  with  a  roof,  and  the  white  rain  began 
to  fall  thick  and  fast,  laying  like  white  stars 
on  cloaks  of  alii  and  of  king.  Kuala  and 
the  great  chief  could  be  dimly  seen  as  they 
whirled  around  each  other  in  the  strife,  faster 
than  seabirds  on  the  wing.  Now  rushing  to- 
gether, now  stepping  quick  aside,  but  Kuala's 


70 

"breathing  could  be  heard  by  the  king  and  his 
alii  standing  near,  while  the  great  chief 
moved  quicker  than  the  red  lightning  from 
the  clouds,  without  a  sound  save  when  his 
javelin  struck  the  warrior's.  But  moving  back- 
ward from  Kuala's  rush,  his  heel  struck  upon 
a  stone,  and  he  swayed  slightly.  Then  the 
warrior's  javelin  tore  his  shoulder  till  the  red 
blood  came.  With  a  cry  that  made  the  king 
and  all  his  followers  shiver  as  with  cold,  he 
sprang  past  Kuala's  javelin  and  fastened  his 
teeth  within  his  flesh,  and  his  face  was  like  a 
demon  as  he  tore  the  warrior's  throat,  and 
Kuala  fell  slowly  back  upon  the  sand,  writh- 
ing in  quick  death.  Then  the  Ilulumanu, 
standing  by  the  king,  threw  his  spear  and 
pierced  the  great  chief,  who  fell  face  down- 
ward on  the  sand.  From  the  hills  the  war- 
riors came  with  a  mighty  rush,  as  slides  the 
land  from  the  steep  mountain  sides,  while  the 
red  men  waited  their  coming  with  faces  lean 
and  fierce.  They  stood  as  does  a  rock  within 
the  sea  when  the  great  waves  surge  upon  it 


71 

and  fall  back  in  beaten  foam  until  one 
mightier  than  the  rest  o'erwhelms  it.  So 
stood,  so  fell  the  red  men  on  that  day.  Una 
marked  not  the  raging  of  the  strife,  but 
through  the  tumult  pushed  his  way  toward 
where  the  white  queen  stood  alone.  She  fled 
with  exceeding  swiftness,  moving  like  a 
shadow  through  the  falling  mist.  Una,  in 
furious  anger,  raised  his  spear  and  sent  it 
straight  towards  her  as  she  fled.  Then  the 
cloud  grew  thicker  and  closed  around  them. 
Instantly  a  great  cry  was  heard,  and  the  king's 
people  found  him  bleeding  on  the  sand,  with 
his  spear  point  centering  in  his  breast. 
Whither  the  white  queen  went  none  ever 
knew.  But  sometimes  the  hunter,  following 
his  lonely  trail  through  the  great  mountain, 
sees  a  woman's  form  wrapped  in  moving  mist, 
and  with  dark  hair  floating  wildly  around  the 
pallor  of  her  face." 

"  That's  all,"  said  the  guide. 

"  That's   quite   a   lie,   William,"   said   the 
humorist. 


72 

"  1  don't  know;  the  old  lady  says  it  is  just 
so." 

As  we  started  on  our  homeward  trail  the 
clouds  began  rolling  through  the  two 
gaps  and  an  opaque  mist  soon  lay  around  us. 
William  headed  the  procession,  and  we  had 
gone  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  and  were  near 
the  great  cone  when  William  stopped  sud- 
denly and  grasped  the  humorist  by  the  arm, 
almost  white  with  terror. 

"  Look,"  he  said,  pointing  towards  where 
the  fog  had  lifted  somewhat,  and  a  current  of 
air  was  whirling  the  mist,  and  in  the  mist  a 
woman's  form  and  face  could  be  clearly  seen. 
I  looked  inquiringly  at  the  humorist. 

"  Can  such  things  be,"  he  said,  "  and  over- 
come us  like  a  summer  cloud,  without  our 
special  wonder." 

"  There  are  more  things  in  earth  and 
Heaven,  Horatio,"  I  suggested. 

Then  we  went  on  in  silence  through  the 
falling  mist,  but  the  humorist  took  the  lead. 


THE  SOUTHERN  CROSS. 

* 

Thou  hangest  at  the  girdle  of  the  night 
When  night  is  the  dark  priestess  of  the  seas. 
Soft  shines,  emblem  of  love,  the  Pleiades; 
In  Orion's  belt  the  sword  of  war  is  bright, 
But  thou  dost  show  unto  our  earthly  sight 
A  deeper  vision  than  can  come  from  these — 
Of  Him  who  drained  earth's  grief  unto  the 

lees, 
Whose  cross  of  wood  is  changed  to  stars  of 

light. 

Thou  art  low  set  in  depths  of  tropic  skies 
While  sleeps  the  sea  beneath  the  balmy  air; 
Yet  where  far  south  the  stormy  waters  rise 
In  waves  of  tossing  gray,  clear  thou  dost  bear 
On  high  thy  sign  of  hope  for  searching  eyes; 
The  gloom  of  night  but  shrines  thy  presence 

there. 


(73) 


<A  SAUNTER  THROUGH 
HONOLULU. 

* 

I  use  the  word  saunter  advisedly.  You  are 
not  apt  to  rush  wildly  through  the  streets  of 
tliis  tropical  town,  spurred  011  by  the  devils  of 
competition  and  haste.  The  American  im- 
petus in  your  blood  has  died  down  gradually 
as  the  soothing  spell  of  the  tropics  has  as- 
serted itself  more  and  more.  You  realize  that 
the  natives  know  what  they  are  about  as  they 
lie  stretched  out  on  the  grass  beneath  the 
spreading  trees,  drinking  with  much  enjoy- 
ment the  stimulating  swipes.  For  beyond  the 
cool  line  of  the  shade  is  the  glaring  light,  flow- 
ing down  from  the  sun,  deep  set  in  the  depths 
of  blue,  and  it  falls  on  burning  streets,  glisten- 
ing sea  and  shadowless  mountains.  The 
kanaka's  energy  reaches  its  climax  in  the 
evening  when  lie  strolls  out  in  the  moonlight 
(74) 


75 

with  his  guitar  swung  before  him  to  serenade 
his  dark-eyed  beloved,  dressed  in  a  red  holoku, 
as  she  leans  from  some  balcony  overhanging 
the  street. 

As  you  loiter  along  the  road  your  eye  is 
held  by  the  wonderful  foliage  filling  the 
yards.  There  are  the  green  crotons,  spotted 
with  yellow,  as  if  nature  had  used  her  brush 
somewhat  recklessly  upon  them.  Bordering 
the  sidewalks  are  the  hibiscus  hedges,  with 
their  flaming  red  flowers,  looking  out  from 
amid  the  green  leaves  and  staring  open-eyed 
at  the  passerby  on  the  highway.  Then  there 
are  the  avenues  of  royal  palms.  What  strik- 
ing trees  they  are!  With  their  wonderful 
grace  and  beauty!  the  plumes  springing  from 
their  crests  like  fountains  of  living  green.  In 
another  yard  you  see  rows  of  date  palms 
along  the  driveway,  their  rough  hewn  trunks 
making  them  look  like  barbarians,  compared 
with  their  brethren,  the  royal  palms.  In  the 
center  of  some  green  lawn  you  notice  the  fan 
palm,  with  its  wide  spread  of  leaves,  their 


76 

steins  close  set  together  as  the  scales  of  a  fish. 
It  is  a  tropical  harp,  this  tree,  on  which  the 
soft  south  wind  plays  its  lingering  melodies, 
and  every  now  and  then  there  comes  to  you 
the  fragrance  from  the  flowering  trees,  whose 
branches  and  steins  are  covered  as  thickly 
with  blossoms  as  a  bending  twig  is  with  a 
swarm  of  honey  bees.  They  vary  in  color, 
some  lilac,  some  purple,  others  pale  pink  or 
white. 

It  is  a  characteristic  of  Honolulu  to  have 
the  houses  merely  accessory  to  the  yards,  and 
the  houses  are  simply  incidental  to  the  broad 
lanais.  They  are  a  very  pleasant  feature,  these 
lanais,  in  the  shadows  of  which  swing  the  ham- 
mocks, and  with  potted  ferns  and  plants  set 
here  and  there.  As  you  draw  near  the  down- 
town portion  of  the  city  there  is  a  noticeable 
increase  in  the  number  of  small  shops,  mostly 
Chinese.  Honolulu  is  the  pake's  paradise. 
It  is  the  ambition  of  every  Chinaman,  after 
his  term  of  service  on  the  plantation  has  ex- 
pired, to  come  down  to  the  metropolis  and 


open  a  shop,  wherein  lie  will  expose  for  sale 
watermelons,  bananas,  lichee  nuts,  soda-pop 
and  ginger  ale. 

The  Chinaman  seems  to  enjoy  life  in  his 
simple  oriental  way.  lie  delights  to  forgather 
with  his  friends  in  the  evening,  in  the  back 
part  of  his  store,  sitting  on  bags  of  rice,  or 
other  merchandise,  or,  if  it  is  a  more  ambi- 
tious establishment,  he  and  his  friends  sit  on 
ebony  chairs,  inlaid  with  cheap  pearl,  and 
placed  around  the  inevitable  tea  table,  with 
the  china  teapot  on  it,  ornamented  with  a 
blue  dragon,  and  before  each  one  is  placed  a 
small  china  bowl,  and  there  they  talk  by  the 
hour.  Of  what  they  find  to  say,  we  Occidentals 
have  no  conception.  Their's  is  an  unknown 
country,  both  of  speech  and  of  thought.  Be- 
sides these  conversational  parties  and  the  for- 
bidden opium,  their  principal  amusement  is 
frequenting  the  theater.  You  see  them  going 
in  droves  in  the  evening,  dressed  in  silk  shirts 
of  varied  hues,  lilac,  black  and  purple,  worn 
a  la  oriental  outside  their  trousers. 


78 

Honolulu  being  the  home  of  many  and 
varied  nationalities,  is  naturally  the  place  for 
numerous  curious  signs.  Here  is  a  very  mild 
sample  which  T  recollect: 

M.  MUKASIGE 
Cleaner  and  Dyer 
Very,  too  active. 

This  equals  the  epitaph  of  a  Japanese 
damsel  in  the  little  church-yard  at  Lihuc, 
Kauai.  It  is  printed  on  an  upright  board 
and  is  striking  in  its  simplicity.  It  runs  thus: 

She 

born  Tokio 
she  die 
Lihue 

August  15th  189G. 

But  to  resume  our  walk.  "We  are  glad  to 
hurry  through  the  business  part  of  the  town, 
which  is  hot  and  ugly,  with  its  concrete  stores 
and  the  heavy  iron  shutters  fastened  before 
the  windows.  Here  you  see  misguided  men 
rushing  along  the  sidewalks  in  their  shirt 
sleeves  intent  on  business  or  speculation.  If 


79 


a  steamer  is  in  from  the  Colonies  the  sidewalks 
will  be  filled  with  peculiar  looking  people. 
The  men,  generally  dressed  in  heavy  gray 
suits,  with  knickerbockers,  and  with  short 
black  pipes  stuck  in  their  faces.  The  women 
wearing  either  tam-o'shanters  or  bonnets  with 
thick  green  veils.  Their  naturally  ruddy 
English  complexions  are  apt  to  take  on  an 
added  hue  under  the  tropical  sun.  On  the 
corners  near  the  saloons  stand  the  steerage 
passengers,  with  flaming  hibiscus  flowers  in 
their  button  holes,  gazing  with  open-mouthed 
interest  at  the  specimens  of  tropical  foliage 
which  come  under  their  observation. 

A  steamer  being  in,  one  naturally  drifts 
down  to  the  water  front.  From  there  you 
can  look  back  into  ISTuuanu  Valley,  with  its 
symmetrical  sweep  of  green  stretching  from 
mountain  height  to  height,  and  with  its  ever 
present  gateway  of  clouds  rolled  massively 
together  at  the  northern  end;  while  far  out 
to  seaward,  almost  on  the  level  with  your  eye, 
stretches  the  white  line  of  foam,  where  the 
waves  roll  on  the  coral  reefs,  and  still  farther 
beyond  is  the  blue  of  the  horizon,  tinged  with 


80 


bronze.  All  is  activity  along  the  wharves. 
The  little  inter-island  steamers  are  unloading 
their  cargoes  into  the  ships.  Portuguese  and 
native  stevedores  swarm  everywhere.  Bags 
of  sugar  are  swung  aloft,  and  lowered  into  the 
deep  holds  of  the  ships,  to  the  accompaniment 
of  the  throbbing  donkey  engines,  while  mer- 
chandise is  taken  out  and  deposited  on  the 
wharves  so  that  yon  can  hardly  move  around 
amongst  the  piles  of  coal,  fertilizers  and  pro- 
visions of  all  sorts.  The  great  ships  lie  quietly 
in  their  berths,  enjoying  the  calm  after  the 
hazards  of  the  sea.  Far  up  towards  the  blue 
sky,  011  the  tops  of  their  masts,  the  metal  balls 
glisten  in  the  sun,  while  the  furled  sails  lie 
upon  the  cross  masts  like  drifted  snow.  Re- 
flected from  the  water,  the  sunbeams  shine 
upon  their  bows  in  a  network  of  wavering 
light.  Out  in  the  harbor  lies  the  cruiser  Bal- 
timore, held  in  her  anchorage  by  two  chains 
drawn  taut  from  her  flaming  nostrils  into  the 
bay.  Very  peaceful  she  looks,  all  in  white, 
resting  upon  the  smooth  blue  waters  of  the 
harbor,  with  the  eight-inch  guns  closed  and 
the  tropical  breezes  wandering  underneath  her 


81 


awnings — but  that  was  many  months  before 
the  first  of  May,  1898. 

•One  of  the  most  striking  incidents  of  life 
along  the  water  front  occurs  when  a  steamer 
leaves  for  the  coast.  The  wharf  is  jammed 
with  people  down  to  see  their  friends  off  for 
'Frisco.  The  unfortunates  who  are  about  to 
depart  are  loaded  down  with  leis  of  all  kinds 
and  colors,  carnations,  maile,  tube-rose,  et  al., 
until  they  look  like  hanging  gardens.  As 
the  steamer  swings  out  into  the  stream  the 
Hawaiian  band  plays  the  Star  Spangled  Ban- 
ner, Auld  Lang  Syne,  and  closes  with  Hawaii 
Ponoi,  and  from  the  decks  comes  the  flutter- 
ing of  many  handkerchiefs  and  salt  tears  are 
dropping  silently  into  the  salty  sea.  The 
steamship  heads  into  the  narrow  path  marked 
by  the  red  buoys,  with  a  blast  of  farewell  to 
Honolulu,  which  lies  hidden  beneath  her 
spreading  trees,  and  with  the  great  mountains 
clothed  in  green  rising  in  the  background. 

It  is  really  too  hot  to  walk  through  all  of 
Honolulu  in  the  day  time,  so  let  us  see  the 
Oriental  part  in  the  evening.  The  windows 
of  the  Japanese  stores  first  attract  one's  atten- 


82 


tion.  They  arc  filled  with  fabrics  beautiful 
and  rare.  Silks  and  laces  and  screens,  the  last 
covered  with  wonderful  birds  and  foliage, 
which  certainly  must  have  come  from  some 
Japanese  paradise.  Then  there  are  the  vases 
ornamented  with  dragons  of  remarkable  hues, 
with  astonishing  mouths,  or  perhaps  they  are 
cast  in  simple  bronze,  with  gold  chrys- 
anthemums on  either  side.  It  is  indeed  a  new 
world  of  beauty  these  people  have  opened  to 
our  eyes.  Passing  on  we  come  to  where  the 
Chinaman  is  working  with  his  never-ceasing 
industry,  in  his  varied  callings.  Through  the 
windows  of  a  shop  you  see  among  a  dozen 
others  an  old  Chinaman  working  over  a  piece 
of  gold,  fashioning  it  into  curious  shapes  with 
his  delicate  tools  of  steel.  The  light  from  a 
tray  of  oil,  in  which  is  burning  slender  pieces 
of  tallow,  shines  into  Ins  yellow  face,  and  re- 
flects in  his  hugeglasses  as  he  bends  hourafter 
hour  over  his  work.  In  the  next  store  is  a  mer- 
chant going  over  his  accounts  behind  a  screen 
of  ground  glass,  his  eyes  intent  on  the  curious 
hieroglyphics  marked  in  long  black  and  red 
lines  011  the  account  paper  that  lies  before 


83 

him.  At  his  elbow  is  the  abacus  of  slid- 
ing beads,  which  he  invariably  uses  in  mak- 
ing calculations.  The  next  store  perhaps  is 
a  tea  shop,  the  wall  divided  into  squares,  each 
one  bearing  a  red  label  with  Chinese  charac- 
ters upon  it.  In  the  back  of  the  store  are 
several  tea  tables,  where  the  merchant  and 
his  friends  can  drink  this  cheering  but  not 
inebriating  liquid.  The  Chinaman  must  have 
his  tea  with  the  same  regularity  that  the  Ger- 
man requires  his  beer,  the  Frenchman  his  ab- 
sinthe and  the  American  his  mixed  drinks. 

The  Chinaman  has  his  own  gods.  And  in 
every  store  whether  it  belongs  to  a  wealthy 
merchant  or  to  some  petty  dealer  in  vegeta- 
bles, one  sees  the  peacock  feathers  of  many 
eyes,  framing  the  piece  of  red  cloth  on  the 
wall,  on  which  is  inscribed  in  gilt  letters  the 
mystic  signs  of  his  religion. 

Through  the  streets  there  flows  in  the  even- 
ing a  mixed  human  stream,  crowds  of  natives 
decked  with  flowers  and  carrying  guitars, 
singing  and  shouting  and  more  or  less  intoxi- 
cated. Japanese  women  shuffling  along  the 
sidewalks,  with  their  heavy  wrooden  clogs  and 


84 


dressed  in  tight-fitting  kimonas,  which  hamper 
their  every  step.  There  are  blue  jackets  from 
the  men-of-war,  sailors  from  the  merchantmen 
and  Chinamen  on  their  way  to  the  theaters, 
and  the  cheerful  Chinese  music  can  be 
heard  in  its  creaking  melody  across  the 
!N\manu  stream.  Back  from  the  streets, 
reached  by  narrow,  tortuous  alleys,  are  mis- 
erable hovels,  where  burns  the  opium  lamp 
with  its  devotees  around  it,  engaged  in  smok- 
ing the  black  drug,  till  their  eyes  are 
glazed  and  the  dark  poison  is  transmuted  for 
them  into  glorious  visions,  carrying  them  far, 
far  into  a  dreamy  eternity. 

But  it  is  time  to  leave  this  crowded  Oriental 
quarter  and  to  return  to  the  civilized  portion 
of  the  town.  In  the  square  the  band  is  play- 
ing. The  moonlight  falls  softly  on  the  dark 
foliage  of  the  trees,  and  the  palms  are  glisten- 
ing with  light,  as  with  moisture,  while  above 
the  sharp  crests  of  the  mountains  the  clouds 
rise  upward  in  masses  of  billowy  white,  and 
around  the  island  lies  the  calm  and  resplendent 
sea. 


LEAHL 

* 

(Diamond  Head.) 

As  lies  the  Sphinx  upon  old  Egypt's  sand 
In  silence  deep,  while  slow  the  years  unfold 
E'en  so  thou  watchest  where  the  waters  hole 
Their  sway — the  waves  slow  marching  on  th< 

land 
Till  lines  of  foam  are  stretched   along  tin 

strand. 

Thou  seest  with  a  glance  assured  and  bold 
The  secret  sea  beneath  thy  feet  unrolled; 
While  spirits  of  the  deep  thou  dost  command 
Or  crouchest  like  the  lion  of  the  seas 
Though  years  have  changed  thy  fiery  heart  t( 

stone. 

Below  the  plain  is  filled  with  tropic  trees, 
While  from  the  flowering  shrubs  and  plants 

is  blown 
A  heavy  fragrance  on  the  languid  breeze; 

Yet  mid  the  beauty  thou  art  stern,  alone. 

(85) 


THE  TRADE  AND    THE  SOUTH 
WIND. 

* 

The  trade  wind  was  in  a  stern  humor,  as  lie 
started  southward  from  his  northern  home  of 
mist  and  snow,  lie  drove  the  clouds  in  bine- 
gray  masses  along  the  stormy  horizon  and  the 
ocean  was  dark  and  sullen  beneath  his  icy 
breath;  while  the  ships  bore  westward,  under 
bare  poles,  lurching  through  the  angry  waters. 
But  as  he  blew  on  and  on  towards  the  South 
the  trade  wind  became  milder  and  milder  in 
temper  and  gayer  in  spirit.  For  was  not  the 
sun  shining  in  clear  splendor  from  the  cloud- 
less blue?  And  there  was  the  great  sea  to 
wander  over  as  he  chose.  So  he  swept  on- 
ward joyously,  while  beneath  his  steps  the 
waters  were  quickened  into  thousands  of 
waves,  tossing  gaily  their  white  and  gleaming 
crests.  For  many  days  he  was  alone  with  the 

sea,  the  sky  and  his  children  of  the  waves. 
(86) 


87 

But  at  last  there  rose  within  the  circle  of  the 
horizon  the  dark  forms  of  several  islands,  and 
the  trade  wind  flew  upward  towards  the  sky 
so  that  he  might  observe  them,  and  he  dis- 
covered that  a  white  haze  lay  over  the  islands 
and  there  was  not  a  single  cloud  on  mountain 
or  on  sea,  and  a  breath  of  hot  air  blew  against 
his  cool  cheek.  "  Ha,"  exclaimed  the  trade 
wind,  "  that  miserable  fellow,  the  south  wind, 
has  come  back  again.  How  many  times  must 
I  tell  him  to  stay  at  home  in  the  south  seas. 
This  time  I  shall  drive  him  back  beyond  the 
equator."  So  he  summoned  his  messengers, 
the  white  clouds,  which  were  resting  in  broken 
detachments  along  the  horizon,  and  they 
sailed  serenely  up  towards  the  sky  and  floated 
on  before  him  till  they  rolled  in  billowy 
masses  of  white  above  the  serrated  tops  of  the 
mountains.  As  the  cool  shadows  spread  over 
the  sweltering  valleys  and  the  burning  plains, 
the  leaves  began  to  rustle  with  the  first  breath 
of  life,  the  long  grasses  lifted  their  drooping 
heads  and  the  birds  commenced  to  twitter 
among  the  trees. 


88 

The  people  who  were  stifling  in  the  town 
were  thankful  when  they  saw  the  clouds  roll- 
ing above  the  mountains  and  felt  the  first  cool 
breeze.  The  tired  women  in  their  homes 
said:  "  Thank  Heaven,  there  conies  the 
trades,"  while  the  men  down  town,  bending 
over  huge  ledgers  in  hot  offices,  or  rushing 
along  the  burning  sidewalks  in  their  shirt 
sleeves,  swore  softly  to  themselves  and  said: 
"  It  is  about  time." 

The  south  wind  perceived  that  it  was  time 
for  him  to  depart,  so  he  withdrew  slowly  and 
languidly  from  the  mountains  and  valleys. 
"  My  dear  trade  wind,"  he  said,  in  his  soft  and 
courteous  way,  "  I  shall  return  to  the  seas  be- 
yond the  equator  for  a  little  while.  Your 
brisk  ways  are  very  trying  to  me,  but  I  really 
think  I  shall  come  back  again,  and  so  adieu 
for  the  present."  This  rather  insolent  speech 
made  the  trade  wind  so  angry  that  he  pursued 
his  enemy  with  unrelenting  force  until  the 
sea  was  tossed  wildly  behind  his  furious  path, 
but  by  and  by,  as  he  got  further  and  further 


89 

south,  a  curious  drowsiness  crept  over  him, 
which  he  could  not  shake  off.  The  clouds 
became  a  white  and  wavering  haze  before  his 
eyes  and  an  overpowering  desire  possessed 
him  to  rest  on  the  blue  bosom  of  the  sea  for- 
ever. The  south  wind  saw  his  opportunity 
and  he  drove  his  helpless  foe  back,  back 
until  the  cloudy  banners  were  withdrawn 
from  the  mountains  and  he  returned  to  the 
land  of  the  mist  and  snow.  But  we  know  that 
when  the  trade  wind  feels  the  reviving  breath 
of  his  northern  home  he  will  return  to  us 
again.  So  here's  aloha  to  the  trade  wind,  and 
may  he  come  often,  with  his  life-giving  breath 
to  these  islands  and  their  intermingling  seas. 


SUN  SHEE. 

* 

Little  Sim  Slice  lived  in  Honolulu,  but  she 
was  born  in  the  flowery  kingdom  and  had 
been  brought  to  the  island  of  Oahu  when  she 
was  five,  and  she  had  now  arrived  at  the  ad- 
vanced age  of  twelve.  You  could  see  her 
(mite  frequently  standing  in  the  door  of  the 
store,  with  a  Chinese  baby  strapped  on  her 
back  and  her  glossy  black  hair  hanging  in  a 
braid,  the  end  of  which  was  intertwined  with 
red  silk,  so  that  it  almost  touched  the  ground. 
In  these  comparative  idle  moments,  she  used 
to  watch  the  little  native  girls  playing  on  the 
street,  or  the  white  ones  riding  on  wheels  or 
on  the  tram  cars.  Perhaps  she  envied  them 
at  the  base  of  her  impassive  little  soul,  and 
she  certainly  did  wonder  why  they  never  had 
to  work.  As  for  herself  she  did  not  recall 
the  time  she  was  not  obliged  to  toil.  If  she 
did  not  wake  up  in  the  morning  before  the 
(90) 


91 

sun  did,  her  owner,  for  she  was  nothing  but 
a  little  slave  girl,  would  rouse  her  by 
striking  her  with  a  heavy  strap,  which  left 
marks  on  her  body  that  became  blue  by  night. 
But  she  did  not  fear  her  master  as  much  as 
she  did  his  woman  Wong  Fui,  who  took  de- 
light in  torturing  the  girl  in  her  cold-blooded 
Oriental  way.  She  would  drive  her  into  the 
dark  little  room  back  of  the  store  and  pull  at 
the  jade  earrings  in  the  child's  ears,  or  else 
she  would  take  the  two-pronged  hairpin  from 
her  wonderfully  put  up  hair  and  stick  it  into 
the  girl's  flesh.  There  was  nothing  of  anger 
or  revenge  in  this;  it  only  served  to  send  a 
curious  thrill  of  pleasure  through  her  veins 
to  see  the  child  cringing  before  her  and  abso- 
lutely in  her  power.  Sun  Shee  never  wept  or 
cried  out,  or  rebelled,  but  bore  it  all  with 
Chinese  patience. 

It  was  little  wonder  that  she  was  miserable. 
Her  only  respite  was  to  escape  to  the  flat  roof 
of  the  house,  which  was  surrounded  with  a 
wooden  parapet.  Of  course  she  had  to  take 


92 

Wong  Fui's  child  with  her,  for  she  had  the 
constant  care  of  the  youngster.  This  roof 
was  the  oasis  in  her  life.  The  old  yellow  cat 
would  follow  her  up  and  roll  around  on  the 
hot  gravel  that  covered  the  roof,  or  chase  the 
tip  of  Sun  Slice's  queue  as  she  swung  it 
around.  'They  were  very  good  friends,  these 
two.  Then  the  child  took  pleasure  in  the 
Chinese  lilies  ranged  along  the  parapet,  in 
their  green  China  bowls,  and  she  used  to  poke 
around  with  her  finger  among  the  clean  white 
pebbles  in  the  water  around  the  bulbous  roots. 
To  count  and  to  put  them  into  different  com- 
binations was  almost  as  keen  a  pleasure 
for  her  as  to  shift  the  beads  back  and 
forth  on  the  abacus.  At  times  she 
would  lean  over  the  parapet  and  gaze 
at  the  ships  lying  in  the  harbor  slips, 
ornamented  with  curious  figureheads  and  with 
their  great  bowsprits  extending  far  over  the 
wharfs,  making  them  resemble  monsters  of 
the  dcej)  raising  themselves  up  to  look  over 
the  land.  She  used  to  imagine  herself  sail- 


93 

ing  away  on  one  of  these  vessels  and  being 
free  forever  from  the  clutches  of  her  owners. 
After  hesitating  between  the  claims  of  various 
ships,  she  decided  that  the  big  ship,  with  the 
woman's  figure  at  the  prow,  clothed  in  white 
and  with  outstretched  beckoning  hand,  was 
the  one  she  preferred.  It  looked  very  com- 
fortable and  cool  under  the  awning  stretched 
over  the  after  part  of  the  ship,  and  there  was 
a  green  parrot,  in  a  gilded  cage  attached  to 
the  mast,  which  was  discoursing  in  profane 
accents.  Just  as  Sun  Slice  was  far  away  in  her 
dreams,  she  would  feel  a  hand  on  her  queue 
and  find  herself  jerked  suddenly  backwards, 
while  the  cat  would  leap  on  the  parapet  with 
ruffled  tail  and  make  tracks  for  the  adjoining 
roof.  It  would  be  Wong  Fui,  who  had  crept 
silently  up  the  ladder,  expecting  to  catch  the 
child  unawares,  and  who  scolded  in  accents 
which  resembled  to  foreign  ears  the  cackling 
of  an  agitated  hen.  Little  Sun  Slice  would 
descend  patiently  the  ladder  and  go  silently 
to  the  fate  that  awaited  her  in  the  dark  room 
below. 


94 


At  length,  however,  matters  eame  to  a  cli- 
max. It  was  the  first  <lay  of  Chinese  New 
Year,  and  the  little  girl  \vas  standing  in  the 
doorway  with  the  child  011  her  back,  watching 
the  hacks  drive  by,  filled  with  family  parties 
of  Chinese.  Kach  vehicle  was  overflowing 
with  little  Orientals,  dressed  in  gorgeous  silks 
of  every  hue  known  to  the  flowery  kingdom. 
They  did  not  shout  and  pull  each  other's 
queues  and  throw  firecrackers  at  the  harmless 
passerby,  as  the  little  foreign  devils  would 
have  done.  They  seemed  quite  demure,  but 
their  small  yellow  faces  were  filled  with  the 
sober  joy  of  anticipation.  .Perhaps  they 
would  drive  out  past  Talama,  way  to  Moaii- 
alua,  or  maybe  they  would  go  up  Manoa  Val- 
ley and  see  papa's  "  fiend  "  and  clansman, 
who  probably  had  a,  banana  plantation  up 
there.  Sun  Shee  would  have  given  her  little 
pigtail  to  have  been  able  to  go  with  them,  but 
she  had  extra  work  waiting  on  her  master's 
guests.  All  the  other  children  in  the  block 
had  firecrackers  to  burn,  and  the  narrow 
streets  were  drifted  with  red  flakes  of  paper. 
Even  the  funny  little  Japs,  with  their  queer 


.    95 

chrysanthemum  tufts  of  hair,  were  shouting 
over  the  sputtering  bunches  of  crackers,  but 
the  blue  devils  seemed  destined  to  stay  around 
Sun  Slice's  door  for  that  year  at  least.  But 
the  worst  devil  that  haunted  "her  just  then 
came  around  the  corner  in  the  shape  of  a  bent 
old  Chinaman  with  long  black  nails,  and  with 
eyes  that  looked  furtively  out  from  his  over- 
hanging mane  of  black  hair.  !N"ot  being  a 
white  child,  Sun  Shee  did  not  run  and  hide 
under  the  counter,  but  she  could  not  help 
shrinking  a  little  as  he  rested  his  hands  on  her 
shoulder  and  peered  into  her  face.  She  won- 
dered if  he  was  going  to  make  another  effort 
to  buy  her  from  her  master.  He  was  quite 
rich,  as  he  owned  a  banana  plantation  at 
Waikiki,  and  he  was  also  a  prominent  director 
in  a  chee  fa  bank,  a  gambling  institution  pro- 
hibited by  law.  The  old  reprobate  went  into 
the  back  room  with  AVong  Tai,  and  an  ani- 
mated discussion  took  place  over  the  samshu, 
and  their  shrill  accents  reached  the  ears  of  the 
little  girl  and  she  knew  that  they  were  bar- 
gaining for  her.  The  upshot  was  that  the  old 
pake  came  out  and  picking  up  the  unresisting 


96 


child,  placed  her  in  the  back  of  his  wagon,  and 
drove  off.  As  the  cart  rattled  down  King 
street  a  desperate  idea  came  into  Sim  Shee's 
head,  that  is,  desperate  for  a  Chinese  girl. 
While  the  old  pake  was  busy  beating  his  bag- 
of-bones  of  a  horse,  Sim  Shee  slipped  out  of 
the  back  of  the  wagon  and  in  a  short  time  was 
running  along  Maunakea  street,  and,  crossing 
the  stream,  was  soon  lost  in  what  was,  at  that 
time,  a  maze  of  narrow  alleys.  At  last  she 
came  to  a  spot  which  seemed  jnst  the  place 
for  her  to  take  refuge  in.  It  was  where  a 
large  mango  tree  stood  in  a  deserted  yard. 
Its  great  dome,  with  the  mass  of  green  re- 
lieved by  the  red  slips  of  the  newer  leaves, 
shadowed  a  little  stream  of  water  which  ran 
through  the  yard.  The  yard  itself  was  sur- 
rounded by  a  high  board  fence,  and  tall 
grasses  grew  everywhere,  and  in  one  corner 
was  a  bunch  of  sugar  cane.  What  luxury  it 
was  for  Sun  Shee  to  lay  down  in  the  shade  of 
the  mango  tree  with  the  rank  vegetation  con- 
cealing her  from  observation.  ~No  more 
slavery  for  her.  She  was  not  lonely  for  she 
had  no  home  to  regret  and  was  just  as  free  as 


97 


the  white  clouds  floating  in  splendor  over  the 
green  valley  beyond. 

The  little  stream  furnished  her  with  water 
to  drink  and  then  there  were  mangoes  and 
sugar  cane  and  bananas.  After  the  first  few 
days  she  gained  sufficient  courage  to  venture 
out  and  made  friends  with  the  children  that 
played  their  queer  games  near  the  coffee  shop 
on  the  corner  of  Lilihia  road.  But  she  some- 
times felt  very  lonely  at  night  with  the  black 
shadow  of  the  mango  tree  over  her  and  when 
the  only  sounds  were  made  by  the  insects 
along  the  stream.  Very  often,  about  mid- 
night, a  crowd  of  drunken  kanakas  would  pass 
along  the  narrow  path-way,  shouting  and  hic- 
coughing their  hula  songs,  then  Sun  Shee 
would  be  so  frightened  that  she  would  crawl 
into  the  long  grass  and  never  venture  out  till 
hours  after  they  had  passed.  It  seemed  to  her 
if  she  could  only  have  the  old  yellow  cat  he 
would  protect  her.  So  one  unfortunate  even- 
ing she  left  her  place  of  refuge,  planning  to 
slip  around  to  the  vicinity  of  her  master's 
store  to  see  if  she  could  find  her  old  playmate. 
While  she  was  going  down  Mounakea  street 


98 


she  failed  to  notice  the  young  Chinaman  with 
a  slouch  hat  and  a  hang-dog  look,  who  was 
stealthily  following  her.  Suddenly  he 
reached  out  and  grasped  her  by  the  shoulder, 
saying  in  Chinese  "  I  know  you,  you  come 
down  to-  the  police  station  with  me."  "  To- 
morrow the  judge  send  you  back  home,  and 
your  master  will  whip  you  to  death."  So 
the  scared  child  was  taken  down  and  put  in  a 
cell  and  the  friendly  mango  tree  did  not  see 
her  again.  However,  she  did  not  go  back  into 
the  clutches  of  Wong  Fui.  For  the  suspicions 
of  the  authorities  became  aroused  in  her  case, 
and  neither  her  old  or  new  master  dared  to 
appear  in  court  the  next  day.  Accordingly, 
she  was  sent  to  a  girls'  school  in  Honolulu, 
and  every  Sunday  she  marches  to  church  in 
column  with  the  other  girls.  She  does  not 
mind  if  she  has  to  help  in  the  kitchen,  carry 
water  and  sew,  but  she  sometimes  misses  the 
yellow  cat,  and  the  place  of  the  mango  tree. 
I  might  add  that  Sun  Slice's  name  was 
changed  to  Sunshine  and  she  became  the 
pride  of  the  school,  but  I  desire  that  this  nar- 
rative should  be  strictly  accurate. 


MANUWELL  SOUZA. 


Souza  is  the  guardian  of  the  light-house 
near  Xawililwili  Bay,  ou  the  east  coast  of  the 
Island  of  Kauai.  But  I  hasten  to  state  for 
the  benefit  of  any  incipient  office  seeker  from 
the  States,  that  Mr.  Souza's  job  brings  him 
is  only  six  dollars  per  month  and  that  a 
large  proportion  of  his  drinking  water  is 
drawn  from  the  corrugated  iron  roof  of  his 
house,  and  tastes  strongly  of  salt.  Mann  well 
is  a  short,  thick-set  Portugee  with  a  stubby 
grizzled  beard.  He  has  followed  the  sea 
since  he  was  able  to  walk,  and  his  eyes  seem 
to  have  become  saturated  with  the  blue  of  its 
waters  and  there  is  in  them  something  of  the 
gleam  and  shrewdness  of  salt.  He  is  a  New 
Knglander  by  birth,  as  he  proudly  informs 
his  visitors.  "  Yees,  T  was  born  in  Massachu- 
setts, varec  goot  yankee;  when  small  keed 
poppa,  he  say  to  me,  '  You  lazee  brat,  you  go 
catch  your  own  feesli.'  I  catch  heem  ever 

(99) 


100 

since."  At  this  pitiful  narration  Souza  would 
slap  his  thick  thigh,  and  his  leathery  face 
would  wrinkle  with  wholesome  merriment. 

In  the  thirty  years  of  seafaring  life,  he  had 
experienced  many  and  strange  adventures, 
but  so  reticent  was  he  in  regard  to  his  past 
that  only  a  few  facts  could  be  gleaned  from 
him.  lie  had  been  shipwrecked  five  times, 
once  in  the  China  seas,  when  the  crew  had 
been  attacked  by  pirates.  He  was  also  on  the 
frigate  "  "Wahasli  "  when  Farragut  fought 
for  the  mouth  of  the  .Mississippi  at  Xew  Or- 
leans. When  I  asked  him  for  some  of  the  de- 
tails of  his  adventurous  career  he  branched 
off,  as  was  his  custom,  into  the  narration  of 
some  local  incident.  "  Xevare  mind  that  now, 
I  tell  you  about  my  boss'  leetle  boy  and  the 
peegs.  Before  T  get  lighthouse,  I  milk  cows 
for  the  boss.  One  day  the  lectio  dcevil  came 
to  me  and  say,  '  Manmvell  we  go  beesness  to- 
gether, poppa  give  me  one  sow  and  one  boor 
soon  there  be  lots  leetle  peegs,  and  we  sell 
them  to  poppa  and  get  reech.  T  give  you 
half,  you  feed  'em.'  I  say  '  all  right.'  By 
and  by  old  sow  have  eight  peegs,  and  one  night 


101 

she  oet  them  all  up.  I  tell  leetle  boy,  he  cry 
verra  iiiucli,  but  his  poppa  bought  okl  sow  for 
seex  dolla.  All  right,  but  we  not  reech  Oh! 
Xo!"  This  tragical  incident  seemed  to  fur- 
nish him  great  amusement  and  he  would 
throw  back  his  head  and  laugh,  till  he  would 
shake  all  over. 

The  lighthouse  was  a  delightful  place  to 
spend  an  afternoon,  when  the  trade  wind 
was  blowing  freshly  down  the  channel,  and 
the  waves  were  tumbling  and  foaming  over 
the  black  lava  rocks,  the  green  of  the  water 
marbled  with  the  foam.  Vines  and  thick 
grass  covered  the  rocky  coast  and  you  could 
easily  find  some  convenient  place  in  the 
shadow  of  a  rock  to  stretch  out  and  read,  or 
watch  the  moods  of  the  changing  sea.  While 
landward  you  could  see  the  great  fields  of 
sugar  cane,  like  an  inland  lake  of  green, 
backed  by  the  clear-cut  mass  of  Waialeale. 

The  lighthouse  keeper  was  the  soul  of  hos- 
pitality and  as  soon  as  the  visitor  hove  in  sight 
above  his  horizon  he  would  wave  his  hat  and 
hurrah  with  much  enthusiasm,  "  Coom  right 
in,"  he  would  say,  "  Ol'  woman  not  at  home, 


102 

but  I  make  you  some  cott'ee  all  myself ;"  and 
so  lie  would.  It  looked  very  black  and  strong 
as  lie  poured  it  into  the  china  bowl,  but  it  was 
not  half  bad,  for  the  old  sailor  was  a  man  of 
resources.  His  one  room  was  decorated  with 
illuminated  texts  of  scripture  and  with  a 
couple  of  highly-colored  prints  of  ladies,  ad- 
vertising the  merits  of  a  particular  soap.  Over 
the  small' table  hung  a  marble  crucifix.  But, 
as  is  the  case  with  many  other  people,  I  fear 
that  Souza's  religion  was  largely  external. 
He  was  quite  content  to  be  again  neigh- 
bor to  his  old  friend  the  sea.  One  of 
his  patrons,  a  wealthy  plantation  owner,  had 
given  him  a  boat,  which  he  kept  in  a  small 
sandy  cove,  below  the  house.  There  were, 
however,  one  or  two  drawbacks  to  his  com- 
plete happiness.  He  could  not  raise  grapes, 
for  as  soon  as  the  leaves  came  out  the  salt  air 
would  nip  them  black.  Another  thing  that 
disturbed  his  soul's  serenity  was  the  fact  that 
he  could  not  catch  any  of  the  sharks  that  in- 
fested the  waters  of  the  bay,  for  which  he  had 
an  old  salt's  hatred.  Although  he  had  care- 
fully rigged  up  some  long  poles  that  extended 


103 

out  over  the  water.  "  All  right,  you  black 
dee vils,"  he  would  say,  shaking  his  fist  towards 
the  sea,  "  When  I  catch  you  I  eet  you  alive." 
Though  Manuwell  could  not  catch  sharks, 
and  raise  grapes,  lie  had  fine  success  with 
chickens.  They  were  scattered  all  over  the 
promontory,  picking  up  insects  and  bugs,  and 
laying  innumerable  eggs  in  their  cosy  nests 
among  the  lava  rocks.  "  Yees,  plenty  cheeck- 
ens,"  he  said  to  my  comment  on  their  num- 
ber, "  cheeckens  to  burn."  He  had  picked  up 
the  phrase  from  some  of  the  boys  who  were 
home  from  school. 

His  helpmate,  Mrs.  Souza,  was  a  funny  old 
woman  and  the  yellow  skin  of  her  face 
was  as  thickly  intersected  with  lines  as  is 
the  map  of  a  Colorado  mining  claim. 
Around  her  head  she  generally  wore  a  yel- 
low cotton  handkerchief.  "  Sancta  Marie," 
she  would  say,  "  the  meesquitoes  eet  me 
all  up,  Peelikia,"  then  her  mouth  would 
expand  in  an  almost  toothless  grin,  and  the 
skin  would  wrinkle  up  so  as  to  almost  shut 
out  her  little  black  eyes.  She  would  repeat 
this  complaint  about  the  "  meesquitoes  "  over 


104 

and  over  again.  But  in  her  own  tongue  she 
was  voluble  enough.  In  fact  so  much  so 
that  old  Souza  would  become  exasperated  and 
beat  her  with  a  stick  of  the  size  approved  by 
the  common  law.  But  this  was  merely  a  coin- 
cidence and  showed  no  desire  on  the  part  of 
Manuwell  to  keep  within  the  bounds  of  the 
law.  This  meant  subsequent  trouble  for  the 
old  fellow,  when  his  boss's  wife  found  out 
about  it.  You  would  hardly  imagine  in  the 
light  of  these  conjugal  episodes  that  there  had 
been  any  romance  connected  with  Souza's 
marriage,  but  there  was.  Perhaps  in  the  glad 
old  days  in  Portugal,  Marie  Souza  had  been  a 
happy-hearted  girl,  with  dark  fringed  eye- 
lashes and  lithe  figure  dancing  down  the  vine- 
yard rows,  until  the  gallant  sailor  whispered 
into  her  ear  the  magic  words  and  she  fled  with 
him  across  the  seas. 

But  let  Souza  tell  it  himself.  It  happened 
that  I  was  with  him  in  the  lighthouse, 
which  looked  like  a  large  bird-house  raised 
high  on  wooden  timbers,  and  roofed  with  cor- 
rugated iron.  Inside  was  a  huge  oil  lamp  with 
reflector,  which  was  placed  behind  the  glass 


105 

window,  set  in  the  corner  of  the  building 
and  which  looked  out  on  the  channel  in  both 
directions.  The  room  was  ornamented  with 
a  picture  of  President  Dole  and  several  col- 
ored prints.  If  I  could  look  into  the  place 
now  I  am  sure  I  would  discover  pictures  of 
Admiral  Dewey  and  President  McKinley. 
Souza  was  busy  polishing  the  reflectors  and 
was  speaking  on  general  subjects,  when  he  sud- 
denly seized  the  brass  telescope,  and  rushed 
out  on  the  windy  platform,  and  leveled  it  up 
the  channel.  By  the  way,  Souza  claimed  that 
this  glass  was  one  of  extraordinary  power  en- 
abling him  to  look  over  the  horizon  at  times. 
Personally  I  could  not  see  a  hundred  yards 
with  it.  But  I  always  squinted  through  it 
dutifully  and  exclaimed  on  its  remarkable 
clearness.  I  followed  Souza  out.  He  said  he 
was  taking  observations  on  the  liner  China 
bound  for  Honolulu.  I  could  see  nothing  but 
white  caps  on  the  horizon.  After  this  diversion 
was  over  Souza  returned  to  his  polishing  and  I 
led  him  gently  around  to  a  chronicle  of  his 
domestic  experiences.  "  You  know  I  traveled 
much  around  the  world.  I  see  plenty,  plenty 


106 

wimens.  I  find  you  can  no  trust  them,  so  I 
say  to  myself  Manuwell  when  you  get  a 
woman,  get  one  so  ugly  nobody  bother  you. 
So  I  found  Marie,  she  just  suit  me,  she  came 
with  her  peeples  from  Madeira  and  was  work- 
ing on  Maui  on  contract,  I  pay  feefteen  dolla 
down  on  her  contract,  and  thirty  dolla  in  seex 
months.  AVhen  time  up  I  go  to  boss  and  say 
you  take  old  woman  back  now.  He  get  verra 
mad,  and  make  me  pay  all  up.  Marie,  he  good 
woman,  but  talk,  talk  all  time,  make  me  mad 
then  pilikia  again."  So  endeth  the  romance 
of  Manual  Souza. 

The  last  time  I  saw  the  venerable  Souza, 
was  in  the  little  Lilme  church,  which  stands 
white-  between  the  rows  of  iron  wood  trees, 
facing  the  distant  sea.  He  had  on  his  Sunday 
clothes,  consisting  of  a  Prince  Albert  coat, 
flannel  shirt,  with  a  flaming  handkerchief 
tied  under  the  collar,  and  light  trousers 
drawn  roughly  over  cowhide  boots.  He 
was  holding  a  hymn  book  in  his  brown 
hairy  fist,  and  singing  with  the  great- 
est unction.  I  knew  that  his  presence  at 
church  indicated  a  storm  center  at  home  and 


107 

a  desire  on  his  part  to  re-establish  himself  in 
the  good  graces  of  the  plantation  people  who 
were  his  patrons.  "  Yees,  T  give  the  ol'  women 
leetle  licking,"  he  said  in  reply  to  my  whis- 
pered question,  "  she  go  to  the  big  house,  sit 
on  the  step,  and  cry  whenever  she  see  the 
boss'  wife,  pilikia  for  me."  Then  he  resumed 
his  singing,  but  there  was  a  qnissical  gleam  in 
his  old  eye,  which  indicated  something  besides 
devotion.  Doubtless  old  Souza  has  his 
faults,  but  one  can  not  help  liking  him  for 
his  indomitable  cheerfulness  and  pluck.  So 
here  is  success  to  you  Manuwell,  and  may  the 
grapevines  yet  twine  around  your  cottage 
door,  and  the  black  sharks  come  to  fasten  on 
your  bait. 


THE  *RS)Y<AL   PALM  ANT>  THE 
cALIEN  PINE. 

* 

It  was  very,  very  warm.  There  were  no 
cooling  clouds  resting  upon  the  sharp-cut 
mountain  crests;  even  the  trade  winds  were 
dozing  in  the  green  mountain  valleys;  and  the 
great  sea-rollors  curled  listlessly  over  on  the 
reefs  and  rippled  lazily  upon  the  heated  sands 
of  the  beach;  while  the  dark-lined  natives  lay 
on  the  shady  grass  peacefully  asleep  with 
their  heads  resting  on  their  folded  arms.  The 
tropical  trees  and  flowers  seemed  to  be  drink- 
ing in  the  heat  with  quiet  enjoyment.  But 
the  somber  Pine  tree  was  very  unhappy  and 
sighed  deeply  as  the  fitful  breeze  stirred 
among  his  dark  branches. 

"  AVhat  is  the  matter,  brother  Pine?''  ques- 
tioned the  broad  and  buxom  banana  tree,  who 
was  standing  near  by  with  her  numerous  pro- 
geny around  her.  "  You  look  so  dark  and 
frowning:  you  should  certainly  feel  happy 
this  beautiful  afternoon,  for  what  can  be 
(108) 


109 

pleasanter  than  a  quiet  warm  day  with  no 
breeze  stirring  to  tear  my  leaves." 

In  reply  the  Pine  tree  only  shook  his  limbs 
as  much  as  to  say:  "Leave  me  alone,  can't 
you  ?  I  want  to  think." 

He  was  indeed  in  a  very  bad  humor,  for  as 
a  rule  he  was  rather  kind  to  the  banana  tree, 
for  he  liked  her  cheerful  ways. 

Then  the  Royal  Palm  decided  he  would  stir 
up  the  pine  a  little  as  he  disliked  this  tree  ex- 
ceedingly since  he  held  aloof  from  the  court 
and  would  not  acknowledge  his  sovereignty. 
For  the  Pine  came  of  a  royal  northern  line 
and  was  very  proud  though  in  exile;  while 
the  Palm  was  a  Prince  of  the  South  and  was 
acknowledged  as  lord  and  looked  up  to  by  all 
the  other  trees  and  flowers  which  grew  on  the 
Island.  What  a  handsome  fellow  he  was,  too! 
With  his  clean  straight  body  and  the  tight 
collar  of  royal  green  around  his  throat,  while 
on  his  crest  were  waving  plumes  which  glis- 
tened in  the  sun. 

"  Mr.  Pine,"  said  the  Royal  Palm,  bending 

his    stately   head    slightly    toward    his    rival, 

You  look  very  glum  this  afternoon ;  if  you 


110 

do  not  like  our  island  why  do  you  not  leave 
it?  You  are  the  one  dark  spot  amidst  all  the 
beauty  of  our  court." 

"  My  lord,"  replied  the  Pine,  "  if  you  will 
permit  me  to  say  so,  your  plumes  look  rather 
frowsy  this  afternoon;  doubtless  they  indicate 
your  Highness'  state  of  mind.  1  shall  cer- 
tainly not  leave  so  long  as  1  can  add  to  your 
pleasure1  by  remaining'." 

At  tins  remark  the  Papaia  tree,  who  was 
one  of  the  royal  guards,  interposed.  He  was 
a  straight  young  fellow  and  his  rather  light 
skin  was  tattooed  with  numerous  hearts,  while 
his  branches  stood  straight  out  from  his  head 
making  him  look  like  a  green  Kahili;  hut  be- 
yond all  these  attractions  the  Papaia  was  a 
kamaaina  (old  resident),  and  was  proud  of  the 
fact, 

"  It  is  insolent  of  you  sire  to  speak  thus  to 
his  Royal  Highness;  you  are  only  a  mulihiiii 
(stranger),  understanding  neither  our  laws, 
customs  nor  habits  and  having  no  place  nor 
right  in  sunny  Hawaii." 

"  My  dear  young  savage,"  replied  the  Pine 
tree  grimly,  "  I  wish  I  might  take  you  away 


Ill 

with  me  from  this  sunny  land  to  the  cold  and 
high  mountains  where  the  air  is  very  thin  and 
you  would  then  not  have  sufficient  breath  to 
talk  so  much." 

At  this  audacious  speech  all  the  other  trees 
and  flowers  stirred  uneasily  as  though  they 
were  about  to  make  a  remark  in  chorus,  but 
they  were  timid  and  thought  it  wiser  not  to 
attack  the  dark  Pine  any  further,  for  he  really 
seemed  an  unpleasant  fellow  when  aroused. 

As  the  afternoon  waned  and  the  sun  sank 
nearer  to  the  blazing  sea,  the  Pine  tree  passed 
out  of  his  defiant  mood,  and  gradually  becom- 
ing more  and  more  somnolent,  he  finally  fell 
into  a  deep  sleep  and  was  carried  far  away  in 
his  dreams.  Once  more  he  was  on  the  moun- 
tain side  with  his  straight  dark  brethren 
around  him  and  thousands  of  them  filling  the 
slope  below.  The  clear  breeze  was  blowing 
amongst  them  with  a  low  murmuring  sound, 
and  in  the  ravine  the  water  could  be  heard 
tinkling  over  the  smooth  granite  boulders, 
while  in  the  little  pools  the  speckled  trout 
shot  hither  and  thither,  or  "  stayed  "  their 
bodies  against  the  current. 


112 

Far  down  lie  could  see  the  plains  stretching 
far  away  to  the  eastern  horizon  and  here  and 
there  upon  their  broad  surface  lay  the  cooling 
shadows  cast  by  the  broken.,  luminous  clouds, 
which  lay  like  a  great  white  fleet  anchored  be- 
tween sky  and  earth. 

Then  the  scene  changed  and  he  saw  a  storm 
moving  downwards  in  white  folds  from  moun- 
tain height  to  height  until  it  covered  the 
great  slopes  and  filled  the  deep  canyons. 
Then  it  came  eddying  and  whirling  in  myriad 
white  particles  around  him;  first  blurring  and 
finally  shutting  from  view  comrades  until  he 
was  alone  with  the  storm.  The  power  of  the 
tempest  stirred  the  sap  under  his  bark  and  a 
wave  of  somber  exultation  came  over  him, 
under  the  influence  of  which  he  awoke  and 
saw  the  stars  shining  in  soft  lustre  through 
the  night,  while  on  the  warm  and  languid  air 
came  the  fragrance  of  tropical  flower  and 
tree. 

A  numbing  pain  seemed  to  find  its  way 
through  the  tough  fibre  to  the  stout  heart  of 
the  alien  Pine,  and  he  said  to  himself,  "  Be  it 
ever  so  lovely,  there's  no  place  like  home." 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 

Los  Angeles 
This  book  is  DUE  on  the  last  date  stamped  below. 


315 


1 


3  1158  00811   1980 


A    001  239993 


